Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz has endured a meteoric rise to stardom since making his MLB debut in June last year. De La Cruz was recently selected to his first All-Star team in his second season. Despite this fame, the 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic still gives back to the community.
On Friday, De La Cruz hosted a youth baseball camp at Sycamore High School in the Cincinnati area. The camp was sold out and featured around 500 kids from first to eighth grade. The kids learned baseball fundamentals from the newly selected All-Star. De La Cruz coached them on fielding, baserunning, and gave the young players batting practice.
Elly De La Cruz is at Sycamore H.S. this morning for his first local youth baseball @ProCamps with 500 Cincinnati-area kids.
A big week continues for the Reds All-Star. pic.twitter.com/z6GGzkQlJG
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) July 12, 2024
De La Cruz expressed his feelings about the camp: “I feel grateful. I’m having fun with the kids, and after this, I have to get to the game.”
This is not the first camp De La Cruz has held since his MLB debut. During the winter, he quietly coached little league kids in his home country, the DR. This camp was his first local event in the US.
He was also selected to his first All-Star team. Elly De La Cruz is having an exciting week. He is the youngest Reds player to make the All-Star Game since 1970. He is also the eighth shortstop in franchise history to punch their ticket to the midsummer classic. The first half has been a success for De La Cruz as he leads the MLB in stolen bases with 46 and is batting .255 with 15 home runs.
Photo Credit: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts to steeling third base during the game against the Colorado Rockies. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
