LOUISVILLE, Ky. — His highlights have taken over social media and in keeping with ESPN, shortstop Elly De La Cruz is the highest prospect in all of baseball. However what’s it that makes this 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic so particular?
De La Cruz is a 5 instrument participant — which means De La Cruz excels as a participant who can hit for common, hit for energy, discipline, throw, and run. His favourite facet of the sport is setting the bottom paths on fireplace.
“That’s what brings electrical energy to the sphere, that’s why he (De La Cruz) likes to run,” De La Cruz mentioned via a translator.
Emmanuel Cartagena, director of Carribbean scouting for the Reds, was one of many scouts who helped signal De La Cruz at 16 years outdated as a world free agent in 2018. for less than $65,000. As soon as De La Cruz made his US debut in 2021 (within the Arizona league), it was clear, the Reds bought a steal.
“Each instrument caught as much as the place it wanted to and his physique to the participant he turned,” Cartagena mentioned.
The Reds scored the highest prospect for less than $65,000. As soon as De La Cruz made his US debut in 2021 (within the Arizona league), it was clear, the Reds bought a steal.
“I used to be simply getting cellphone calls each day and texts, asking about Elly. Making an attempt to listen to the story on how he slipped from each group,” Cartagena mentioned.
De La Cruz was missed by many others.
“Again when he was 15 or 16, he was under-developed, he wasn’t as massive as the opposite children, wasn’t as sturdy as the opposite children. He wasn’t as quick, didn’t have the most effective protection. I feel he simply flew underneath the radar for lots of men,” Cartagena mentioned.
De La Cruz grew from six-foot, to six-foot-five. Cartagena mentioned that throughout the pandemic, Elly advanced from a possible prospect to a ball participant whose tales are informed throughout baseball.
“In fact he (De La Cruz) all the time thinks again to it he (De La Cruz) simply thanks God that he’s right here nonetheless and let every thing handle itself,” De La Cruz mentioned via a translator.
However why hasn’t Elly De La Cruz gotten an invite to the present?
“He (De La Cruz) doesn’t know, the those that make the choice will make the choice for him and for the Reds, each time they’re prepared,” mentioned De La Cruz via his translator. “He (De La Cruz) doesn’t actually give attention to that, he simply focuses on the sphere.”
In some unspecified time in the future, that focus shall be on a giant league discipline. All Reds followers can do is watch for that “electrical energy” to return to Cincinnati.
