Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds flies out in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark on March 10, 2023 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
The Cincinnati Reds top prospect shortstop Elly De La Cruz has been called up to the Major Leagues for the start of their three-game home series against the Dodgers today at 7:10 p.m. EDT.
De La Cruz is currently the No. 4 Major League Baseball Prospect according to MLB.com Pipeline.
De La Cruz, born in Sabana Grande de Boya, Dominican Republic, signed with the Reds as an international free agent for $65,000 in July of 2018 at 17 years old and made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League during the 2019 regular season.
In the Dominican Summer League, he played in 43 games and batted .285 with 186 plate appearances recording 47 hits, 11 doubles, one home run, 26 RBI, and drew 14 walks in 2019.
During the 2021 season, De La Cruz split his time between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Daytona, where he played in 61 games with 265 plate appearances, batting .296 and recording 73 hits, 18 doubles, nine triples, eight home runs, 42 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and walked 14 times with a .874 OPS.
In the 2022 regular season, he started off in High-A with the Dayton Dragons, playing in 74 games with 306 plate appearances and hitting .303 with 85 hits, 14 doubles, six triples, 20 home runs, 28 stolen bases, 52 RBI, and 24 walks prior to the Major League All-Star Break, where he was selected to play in the MLB Futures Game at Dodgers Stadium.
De La Cruz was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga on July 22 last season, where he played in 47 games with 207 plate appearances batting .305 recorded 58 hits, 17 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 34 RBI, 19 stolen bases, and 16 walks in the second half of the season.
He played winter ball in 2022-23 regular season in the Liga de Beisbol Profesional de la Republica Dominicana with the Tigres del Licey.
Over the winter league season, De La Cruz played in 24 games with 101 plate appearances and batted .286 with 24 hits, four doubles, two triples, 14 RBI, nine stolen bases, and 16 walks as the Reds limited his appearances prior to Minor League Spring Training.
The Cincinnati Reds did not include De La Cruz as a spring training invitee prior to the 2023 Major League Baseball season, and he started the year in Triple-A with the Louisville Bats, where in 186 plate appearances he batted .298 with a 1.031 OPS in 38 games, recording 47 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 36 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 50 walks before getting the call to the show.
De La Cruz has been making solid contact with the ball all season, having hit seven balls with an exit velocity over 116 mph in Triple-A this season, according to MLB Statcast, which has recorded 32 balls hit with an exit velocity 116 mph or greater in Triple-A this season.
