Elly De La Cruz has been ranked the 24th best player in Major League Baseball by ESPN.
“One of these years, De La Cruz is going to put everything together and win an MVP award,” ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan wrote. “Over his first three seasons, though, he has been as much about potential as production. He has never had an on-base percentage over .340. His slugging percentage topped out at .471. And while his ability to post is admirable — De La Cruz was one of only six to play in all 162 games last season — the tools are there for more.”
“At 24 years old, he has plenty of time to find them, and when he does, the entire package — a 6-5, switch-hitting shortstop with otherworldly power and speed — won’t look like anything the game has ever seen.”
They go on to predict that De La Cruz will slash .257/.338/.504 with 32 home runs, 44 stolen bases, and 94 RBIs.
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If De La Cruz can put up those numbers, the Reds should should be in a great place offensively.
In 2025, he was on pace for a huge season until a quad injury hampered his second half.
“If you look before and after he got hurt, it’s night and day from a metric standpoint,” Reds President of Baseball Operations told Charlie Goldsmith.
So far in Spring Training, De La Cruz has been outstanding, slashing .400/.400/1.000 with six extra-base hits. He looks comfortable at the plate and looks healthy on the bases. He’s also put on a bunch of muscle this offseason and you can tell.
2025 was a huge learning year for De La Cruz, playing hurt and making the postseason for the first time in his career.
“It was a great experience,” De La Cruz said. “Something I’ve never been through. It was a great experience. It’s the same baseball, but a different vibe. We’ve got to be ready for it. We’ve got to be prepared from now on to play in the playoffs.”
You can see their full rankings here.
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