Cincinnati Reds shortstop Ely De La Cruz and Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras signed with Jordan Brand on March 27, as reported by MLB.com.
The deals for De La Cruz and Contreras have not been announced yet, but they could possibly showcase Jumpman-branded gear and cleats on the field very soon.
Jordan Brand’s other current Major League Baseball players include Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm, Mookie Betts, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Manny Machado. Former MLB players who signed with Jordan Brand include Derek Jeter and CC. Sabathia, Yadier Molina, and David Price. Marcus Stroman was formerly with the Jordan Brand until he developed his custom cleat company, SHUGO.
Elly De La Cruz and William Contreras have signed to Jordan Brand 💪 pic.twitter.com/PVwMLRxXVI
— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2024
Since being called up last summer from Triple-A, De La Cruz has brought excitement to baseball with his speed on the basepaths and his athleticism defensively and at the plate. Last season, De La Cruz split time between third base and shortstop. The Reds star played in 69 games and started 66 games at shortstop and 32 games and started in 29 games at third.
The 22-year-old left-handed hitter from Sabana Grande de Boya, Dominican Republic, was a MiLB.com Organization All-Star in 2022 and 2023 and was selected to the National League Futures Team in 2022 at Dodger Stadium.
Contreras, 26, was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, and is entering his fifth season in MLB and second in Milwaukee. He previously played for the Atlanta Braves from 2020-22, was an All-Star in 2022, and won a World Series championship in 2021. In Contreras’s first season with Milwaukee in 2023, he won the Silver Slugger Award and finished 11th in the NL MVP voting.
There is no timetable for the 2024 season for when De La Cruz and Contreras will wear Jumpman-branded accessories and cleats. Still, the new style is expected to be very interesting to see once both players wear the iconic Jordan brand at some point during the next few months.