Elly De La Cruz

21-Year-Old ShortstopSS
Cincinnati Reds AAA
2023 Fantasy Outlook
There are better prospects than De La Cruz, but there might not be a more visually captivating prospect. He looks and moves differently than 99.9% of baseball players. It's as if 6-foot Ronald Acuna and 6-foot-8 Oneil Cruz met in the middle at 6-foot-5. De La Cruz can hit 500-foot homers and post 70-grade run times. He is dripping with athleticism and in no danger of adding too much weight in the coming years to compromise his speed and actions. So why isn't he the No. 1 prospect? Scouts are still torn on the hit tool. He logged a 30.8 K% and 7.8 BB% as a 20-year-old (age appropriate) at High-A and Double-A. The switch-hitting shortstop really struggles with pitch recognition, and if a pitcher doesn't throw him a fastball, the pitcher will probably win the at-bat. Even so, De La Cruz is turning 21 in January, so he could spend the entire 2023 season in the upper levels of the minors and still be on track. If he doesn't improve against offspeed pitches, De La Cruz could be a low-AVG, low-OBP power/speed threat, and the sky is the limit if he is able to make the necessary improvements at the dish. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#488
ADP
$Signed a contract with the Reds in July of 2018.
On fire in May
SSCincinnati Reds  AAA
May 15, 2023
De La Cruz is hitting .347 with a .467 OBP and five home runs in 12 games this month at Triple-A Louisville.
ANALYSIS
The most impressive aspect of De La Cruz's recent run of success is his improved contact rate and swing decisions. He has 10 walks and 10 strikeouts in his last 49 at-bats and is 2-for-6 on stolen-base attempts over that span. Matt McLain earned a promotion Monday to play shortstop for the Reds, but if De La Cruz's newfound plate skills hold, he should get a promotion of his own this summer.
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2022 Fantasy Outlook
De La Cruz is the "it" prospect of the offseason. He is in that alluring stage of his development where the upside and the risk are obvious to all observers. The 6-foot-2 switch-hitting shortstop hit .296/.336/.539 with eight home runs and 10 steals in 61 games as a 19-year-old in the Florida Complex League and at Low-A. He had a 30.2 K% and a 5.3 BB%, which would be a concerning set of plate skills for any prospect at any level. However, evaluators who saw him in person rave about his physical tools (70-grade raw power, 70-grade speed) and the hard-hit and batted-ball data has left remote analysts similarly excited. How he is valued in dynasty leagues comes down to risk tolerance. He might have a wider range of outcomes this season than any other hitting prospect in the game.
More Fantasy News
Activated off minor-league IL
SSCincinnati Reds  AAA
April 20, 2023
De La Cruz (hamstring) was activated from the minor-league injured list by Triple-A Louisville on Thursday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
ANALYSIS
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Resumes baseball activities
SSCincinnati Reds  AAA
Hamstring
April 9, 2023
Reds vice president of player development Shawn Pender said Sunday that De La Cruz (hamstring) has resumed baseball activities, but remains without a specific timeline to make his 2023 debut, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Out with hamstring strain
SSCincinnati Reds  AAA
Hamstring
March 26, 2023
De La Cruz suffered a left hamstring strain March 18 and will miss the start of the minor-league season, Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
ANALYSIS
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Sent to minor-league camp
SSCincinnati Reds  AAA
March 14, 2023
De La Cruz was sent to minor-league camp by the Reds on Tuesday.
ANALYSIS
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Big hitting day
SSCincinnati Reds  AAA
March 4, 2023
De La Cruz tripled against the Royals' Aroldis Chapman on Saturday, and later homered in the Reds' spring training loss, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
ANALYSIS
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