The Cincinnati Reds officially declared June 23 “Elly De La Cruz Day” after the rising star powered a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees. With De La Cruz leading the charge, Reds fans were reminded just how electrifying their franchise cornerstone can be, especially under the lights in a high-stakes series opener against the AL East leaders.

De La Cruz finished the night 3-for-4 with a triple, home run, RBI single, and two runs scored. He was a double shy of hitting for the cycle, on the exact anniversary of the first cycle of his MLB career in 2023. He tallied three RBIs and eight total bases, continuing a red-hot month where De La Cruz holds a .309 batting average, six home runs, and 12 RBIs.

The Reds' official X (formerly known as Twitter) account marked the occasion with a bold proclamation.

“We hereby declare June 23rd as Elly De La Cruz Day.”

Major League Baseball also chimed in on the platform, pointing out the historical coincidence.

“On this exact date two years ago, De La Cruz hit for the cycle. Tonight, he was a double shy of doing it again.”

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Although beating a team like the Yankees is always special, this one felt different. Aaron Judge gave New York an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the first inning, but De La Cruz flipped the momentum in the fourth with an RBI triple. He followed that with an RBI single in the fifth and capped off his night with his 18th home run of the season in the eighth.

The Reds improved to 41-38 on the season, now winners of 11 of their last 16. Their pitching, led by Nick Lodolo and reliever Scott Barlow, held Yankees hitters 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. The result delivered just the second time in 14 games that the Yankees had surrendered more than three earned runs.

The shortstop’s performance has intensified calls for a long-term extension, as he continues to solidify his status as the face of the franchise. Involved in four of Cincinnati’s six runs, he remains the driving force behind the team’s midseason surge.

From his impact on the field to his place in club history, De La Cruz is turning heads, and now has a day named after him to prove it. If he keeps this up, “Elly De La Cruz Day” might just become an annual celebration in Cincinnati.