LOUISVILLE, Ky. — His highlights have taken over social media and according to ESPN, shortstop Elly De La Cruz is the top prospect in all of baseball. But what is it that makes this 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic so special?
De La Cruz is a five tool player — meaning De La Cruz excels as a player who can hit for average, hit for power, field, throw, and run. His favorite aspect of the game is setting the base paths on fire.
“That’s what brings electricity to the field, that’s why (De La Cruz) likes to run,” De La Cruz said through a translator.
Emmanuel Cartagena, director of Carribbean scouting for the Reds, was one of the scouts who helped sign De La Cruz at 16 years old as an international free agent in 2018.
“Every tool caught up to where it needed to and his body to the player he became,” Cartagena said.
The Reds scored the top prospect for only $65,000. Once De La Cruz made his US debut in 2021 (in the Arizona league), it was clear, the Reds got a steal.
“I was just getting phone calls every day and texts, asking about Elly. Trying to hear the story on how he slipped from every organization,” Cartagena said.
De La Cruz was overlooked by many others.
“Back when he was 15 or 16, he was under-developed, he wasn’t as big as the other kids, wasn’t as strong as the other kids. He wasn’t as fast, didn’t have the best defense. I think he just flew under the radar for a lot of guys,” Cartagena said.
De La Cruz grew from 6-foot, to 6-foot-5. Cartagena said that during the pandemic, Elly evolved from a potential prospect to a ball player whose stories are told all around baseball.
“Of course (De La Cruz) always thinks back to it, (De La Cruz) just thanks God that he’s here still and let everything take care of itself,” De La Cruz said through a translator.
But why hasn't Elly De La Cruz gotten an invitation to the show?
“(De La Cruz) doesn’t know, the people that make the decision will make the decision for him and for the Reds, whenever they are ready," said De La Cruz through his translator. "(De La Cruz) doesn’t really focus on that, he just focuses on the field."
De La Cruz was officially called up to Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 6th, so Reds fans will soon see that electricity.
