Triple A pitchers can breathe a sigh of relief. Elly De La Cruz is finally going to the majors.
De La Cruz, ranked by MLB.com as the No. 4 prospect in the majors and the best in the Reds’ system, was called up by Cincinnati on Tuesday after 38 dominant games in the minors this season. In 38 games with the Triple A Louisville Bats, he hit 12 homers and posted a 1.031 OPS. He made the remarkable look routine, hitting some of the longest home runs you’ve ever seen.
De La Cruz was in the team hotel with the rest of his teammates as they prepared to begin a six-game series against the Columbus Clippers when manager Pat Kelly surprised him with the news that he was getting called up. The moment was captured on video, which the Reds posted on social media.
“Your bags are here. You gotta go to Cincinnati.” pic.twitter.com/xLY872QY98
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 6, 2023
After playing as well as he did over the first two months of the season, De La Cruz couldn’t have exactly been shocked that he was getting called up, but it’s still clear how meaningful it was to him to finally hear the news.
The Reds made the move after placing third baseman Nick Senzel on the injured list with a knee issue. De La Cruz, who stands 6'5", has primarily played shortstop as a minor leaguer but also has experience at third. No matter where he’s played, though, he’s shown that he has the physical skills to succeed anywhere on the diamond. In addition to his prodigious power, De La Cruz possesses blazing speed and a strong throwing arm. In May, he uncorked a throw from third base that was clocked at 99.2 mph, the strongest throw by an infielder in the majors or minors to that point. Last week, he sprinted from home to third after a fielding error in 10.97 seconds, which would have been the third-fastest such time in the majors this season.
