It’s laborious to consider a extra thrilling participant in MLB than Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
He’s shaping as much as be this 12 months’s Ronald Acuna Jr.: a participant with immense energy and the flexibility to steal bases in bunches.
Actually, if he retains up his present tempo, he’ll attain new heights and will even prime Acuna’s 41-homer, 73-steal season final 12 months.
“Elly De La Cruz is on tempo for a historic season,” the league tweeted, detailing his power-speed tempo in a graphic.
Elly De La Cruz is on tempo for a historic season. 👀 pic.twitter.com/3b4aAlP1Yf
De La Cruz is presently on tempo to go yard 42 occasions this 12 months, and steal a whopping 94 bases.
Such a excessive tempo is extremely tough to take care of, but when there’s a participant bodily succesful and expert sufficient to take a shot at it, it’s De La Cruz.
He’s wholesome, hungry, and ready to face MLB pitching.
It took some time (he had a reasonably disappointing .710 OPS final season regardless of 13 residence runs and 35 steals), however De La Cruz has matured as a hitter.
Not solely does he have eight residence runs and 18 thefts already in 2024, however he has a .968 OPS.
That’s the place you see how a lot he has grown: he has all the time had energy and velocity, however constantly inflicting harm on the plate and on the basepaths was nonetheless a piece in progress.
That’s not the case anymore: we’re witnessing the breakout of a star, one that can include loads of dingers and stolen bases.
Followers simply have to sit down again and luxuriate in.