Who is Elly De La Cruz? What to know about the Cincinnati Reds' buzz-worthy new player

Elly De La Cruz's Major League Baseball debut this week was potentially the start of a new era for the Cincinnati Reds.

Cruz finished 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He followed that up Wednesday with a show-stopping performance against LA that included his first MLB career home run and a triple to boot.

The infielder's debut was the most anticipated major-league debut for a Reds player since Jay Bruce in 2008.

So, who is Elly De La Cruz? Here are some fast facts about the Reds' buzz-worthy new player.

Reds: Elly De La Cruz does it again, and then some in tape-measure encore

Elly De La Cruz homerun: Moeller High School linebacker Alex French catches ball

Who is Elly De La Cruz?

Elly De La Cruz is a baseball infielder for the Cincinnati Reds.

He made his MLB debut this month – promoted following an injury to Reds outfielder Nick Senzel. Cruz has played for a number of Minor League Baseball teams, most recently the Louisville Bats.

Where is Elly De La Cruz from?

Cruz is from Sabana Grande de Boya, a town with a population of 34,283 in the southeast region of the Dominican Republic, where he discovered his love for baseball. He started hitting tennis balls and rubber balls outside as a childhood hobby.

Cruz moved away from his family's home as a 6-year-old to pursue his dream of becoming an MLB shortstop. He lived with his coach's brother on the northeast side of the Dominican Republic, where he had access to better tournaments and training facilities.

At age 10, Cruz moved to the capital city, Santo Domingo, to train at a baseball academy.

Elly De La Cruz age and height

Cruz was born Jan. 11, 2002, making him 21 years old. He is 6-foot-5.

When was Elly De La Cruz drafted?

Cruz signed his first MLB contract as an international free agent with the Reds in 2018, but remained off the radar throughout the 2018 and 2019 seasons. It wasn't until the Reds’ post-draft camp in the summer of 2021 that he started getting noticed by the team, earning a spot with the Daytona Tortugas.

De La Cruz jumped from a top-100 prospect to a top-10 prospect after hitting 28 home runs with 47 stolen bases in 2022. The Reds called up Cruz for the start of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park Tuesday.

“It was very emotional,” De La Cruz said that day. “I’m very excited to be here. I’m just trying to give an opportunity for the team to win, and we did that today."

Elly De La Cruz is the Reds' first No. 1 prospect in over a decade

Cruz is the Reds’ first No. 1 overall prospect since right fielder Jay Bruce in 2008.

Elly De La Cruz's debut broke a ticketing website

The Reds typically don’t draw big crowds on Tuesdays, but there was so much demand to see Cruz's debut that a ticketing website broke.

What did Joe Burrow say about Elly De La Cruz?

Joe Burrow sent some praise De La Cruz's way while attending Reds' batting practice Wednesday.

"He was exciting to watch yesterday,” the Bengals quarterback told reporters. “You could see how he energized the crowd and energized the city."

Burrow also said: “It’s an exciting time for Cincinnati sports, with us, the Reds coming up and also FC Cincinnati. It’s energizing the city. It’s exciting.”

Enquirer reporter Charlie Goldsmith contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Elly De La Cruz? Cincinnati Reds player's age and more