Elly De La Cruz is a 21-year-old baseball player from the Dominican Republic who currently plays for the Cincinnati Reds. If you haven’t heard of De La Cruz you soon will get familiar with the name.
De La Cruz was called up from the minor leagues just 15 games ago and ever since his call-up, he has been tearing up Major League Baseball. In his 15 MLB games, De La Cruz has a batting average of .361 with three home runs and a slugging percentage of .656. These are unreal almost video game-like statistics for any player but De La Cruz producing these numbers in just 15 games is otherworldy. Last night against the Atlanta Braves, Elly De La Cruz hit for a cycle, hitting a single, double, triple, and a home run all in one game. De La Cruz accomplished this incredible feat in just six innings! “The probability of an average major league ballplayer hitting for a cycle in a game is approximately 0.00590%. This comes to about 2.5 cycles in a 162-game season, about once every 686 games,” (Let’s Have Some Fun With Baseball Cycles!). De La Cruz hit for a cycle in a mere fifteen games and that number fifteen is being repeated simply because baseball has never seen a player like De La Cruz. The last time a Cincinnati Reds player hit for a cycle was June 2, 1989, 34 years ago and yet De La Cruz makes history for a historic franchise in such little time. With blazing fast triple, Elly hits for Cincy's first cycle since '89.
The Reds were able to win yesterday evening against the Atlanta Braves by a score of 11-10 in a thrilling and memorable performance by De La Cruz. With their win last night, Cincinnati’s win streak climbed to 12 straight victories. Elly De La Cruz enters the lineup 15 games ago and ever since then the Reds have won 12 games in a row and have no plans of slowing down. De La Cruz is a special talent and has an ultra-rare combination of speed, power, and strength. Elly De La Cruz Pegs the Top of the Scouting Scale. De La Cruz was clocked at 22 miles per hour in one of his first MLB games and is averaging more than 30 feet per second when it comes to sprint rate. De La Cruz also has extreme power with the bat in his hand having double-digit hits with exit velocities at 117 mph or higher. To have the ball come off the bat at this speed is incredibly unique and special and it has been a major factor in his success so far in the MLB. Combine that speed and power with De La Cruz’s insane arm strength and you have a generational talent. “There have been seven infield throws of 95+ mph in Triple-A and the majors this year. De La Cruz has three of them, including a 99.2 mph throw that is the hardest measured in MLB or Triple-A,” (J.J. Cooper Elly De La Cruz Pegs the Top of the Scouting Scale).
Editor: Joan Andrew Ramadan
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