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Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati's top prospect, doubles into gap for his first big-league hit

dave clark, cincinnati enquirer
·5 min read
Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz tosses his bat as he watches his double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning of a baseball game in Cincinnati, Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz tosses his bat as he watches his double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning of a baseball game in Cincinnati, Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

Cincinnati Reds prospect Elly De La Cruz, making his Major League Baseball debut after his promotion from Triple-A Louisville earlier in the day, doubled to the gap in right-center for his first big-league hit off of Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin in the 3rd inning of Tuesday night's series-opener against Los Angeles at Great American Ball Park.

With an exit velocity of 112 miles per hour, it was the hardest-hit ball so far this season for the Reds.

"He's a special talent," Hall of Famer Barry Larkin said during the Bally Sports Ohio broadcast. "And I think appropriately wearing No. 44. Impact players in this organization that have worn that number. One stands out - my good friend Eric Davis. Big shoulders, big shoes to fill with that number here in Cincinnati. I think eventually you'll see him at that position where he is right now, shortstop, manning that position for many, many years. But he's special. And my hope is that the road, it's gonna be a struggle at times. But the path is clear. He's going to be a superstar. He is going to be a superstar. Just because he has so much talent and ability. And the thing that stays with me the most and I think that people will know about this young man is his humility. ... He is genuinely a humble young man with swag."

De La Cruz reached second base in 7.7 seconds on his double.

"This young man can absolutely fly," Larkin said after De La Cruz's extra-base hit.

De La Cruz walked during his first big-league plate appearance in the first inning, and he walked again in the bottom of the 5th. He grounded out to 2nd with two on and two out in the bottom of the 6th. He struck out looking in the bottom of the 8th.

"I'm telling you guys the only guy that I've played with comparable in speed is Eric Davis," Larkin said during De La Cruz's plate appearance in the 5th. "Eric Davis. I remember one of the first times I saw Eric and I saw him run and it was just like amazing. Deion Sanders type of speed. There's certain guys - Billy Hamilton type of speed. And I think with Elly, it's his length. Because he is so, so long. His stride length is just amazing. Amazing."

De La Cruz started at third base and batted cleanup. He received a lengthy ovation from the crowd at GABP as he stepped to the plate for the first time, with runners on first and third with one out against Gonsolin. De La Cruz's base on balls in the 1st loaded the bases. He and Matt McLain scored on Tyler Stephenson's RBI single to even the game at 3.

"That's important right there," Larkin said during the Bally Sports Ohio broadcast after De La Cruz took a ball in the dirt on a 1-2 count. "That's what Elly De La Cruz early, when he came to Triple-A … he was offering at that pitch down in the dirt. And he told me, 'I'm gonna stop swinging at 'em.' And he did. And I think that's one of the reasons why they felt that he was ready for this time."

"He is an exceptional, exceptional talent," Larkin said earlier in the broadcast.

De La Cruz hit .298 with 12 homers and an OPS of 1.031 in 38 games for the Bats. He hit a walk-off home run in a Louisville win one week before his promotion.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati's top prospect, doubles for first MLB hit