Is Elly De La Cruz the most exciting player in all of Major League Baseball? The Cincinnati Reds shortstop is making a heck of a case for it.
Ever since being called up to the big leagues last season, De La Cruz has been stealing bases, smacking the life out of baseballs and setting records along the way. This season, he has made significant improvements to become a legitimate star-level player, going from a respectable .710 OPS last season to .844 in 2024. The speed, the joy, the power — it all makes De La Cruz so much fun to watch.
In an interview with ESPN's Jeff Passan, De La Cruz was asked who the most exciting player in baseball is. Passan must have had an inkling that the Reds star would say himself. Still, he wasn’t prepared for the answer he gave. “You're sitting right in front of him,” he said.
Why does De La Cruz say that?
“Because I love the game and I enjoy baseball. The fans, [it] seems like they enjoy watching me play,” he said. The Reds star named Fernando Tatis Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge as some of the other stars he likes watching.
Elly De La Cruz making strong case for most exciting MLB player
De La Cruz wasted no time backing up his words right after the interview dropped. In a win over the Miami Marlins, he blasted two home runs and two doubles. Each hit had an exit velocity of over 108 miles per hour.
De La Cruz leads MLB in strikeouts but also in stolen bases by a wide margin. He's at 57 and no one else is at 35. The insane power he hits the ball with makes up for his high strikeout rate. That power translates to his throws across the infield, too, as he's a strong defender with a rocket arm.
The Reds have plenty of great, young talent but have a record of just 54-58, putting them in the crowded middle of the playoff picture in the National League. This probably won't be a season that extends into October. De La Cruz's greatness may not be seen in the postseason just yet. When it does, it will be must-see TV.
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