Cincinnati Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz electrified the baseball world in 2024 with his blazing speed and immense power. As he gears up for the 2025 season, the 23-year-old shortstop is already making waves, launching two home runs in his spring training debut.
On Tuesday, De La Cruz pulled off a play that left new Reds manager Terry Francona in disbelief. With De La Cruz on second base during a double steal, Rockies catcher Drew Romo opted to throw to second, having no chance at the lead runner. Seizing the opportunity, De La Cruz sprinted home with ease, scoring while still on his feet.
“You know how they say you might see something in a game that you’ve never seen before? I’ve never seen that,” Francona told Steve Stockmar of MLB.com.
“When he left third, I was like, ‘No, no, no … good play.’ That’s as athletic and instinctual as it gets. Goodness sakes, that was incredible,” Francona added.
Reds’ star Elly De La Cruz continues to amaze
Veteran manager Terry Francona knows when he’s witnessing something special. With a lifetime spent in professional baseball as a player, coach, and manager, he came out of retirement this offseason to take over the Reds and has high expectations for Elly De La Cruz in 2025.
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De La Cruz made a name for himself last season as one of baseball’s most dynamic talents. He led the majors with 67 stolen bases, blasted 25 home runs, and racked up 36 doubles while scoring 105 runs. His impressive campaign earned him a 5.2 bWAR and his first All-Star selection.
Along the way, he etched his name into the record books multiple times. He became the youngest player in Reds history to record four extra-base hits in a single game and followed it up with another four-hit performance the next day—the first Reds player in 23 years to accomplish that feat.
Even more remarkable, he became the first player in MLB history to tally 100 stolen bases and 30 home runs over his first two seasons, despite playing just 98 games as a rookie. By the end of his second year, he had amassed 102 steals and 38 homers.
Now, De La Cruz is picking up right where he left off. He’s been scorching hot in spring training, slashing .500/.586/1.000 through nine games with three home runs, seven RBIs, eight runs scored, and five stolen bases—two of which came on his jaw-dropping scoring play.
Of course, there’s still room for improvement. He led the majors in strikeouts last season with 218 and committed an MLB-high 29 errors at shortstop. But despite those challenges, De La Cruz’s future remains incredibly bright as he enters his third season in the big leagues.
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