Why unfair expectations, burden squarely on Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz | Press Box Wag
The thing about being the biggest, fastest, most compelling athlete on the field is that the spotlight is a constant, relentless companion, and there’s nowhere to hide even if you try.
And if you’re Elly De La Cruz it also means you have an enormous strike zone, along with those two different swings to maintain as a switch hitter and barely 100 games of big-league experience.
And the biggest, baddest, most unfair reality for one of the youngest players in the majors as he struggles with strikeouts and fielding mistakes in the early part of this season is that few players on the team will have as much to say about whether the Cincinnati Reds reach the playoffs this year.
That’s the coldest, hardest fact facing him and the Reds with Noelvi Marte shelved half the season with a PED suspension and Matt McLain and top shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo both possibly out for the year following shoulder surgeries.
Unless they’re going to make Santiago Espinal the everyday shortstop, the Reds need De La Cruz to be their playoff-caliber answer at one of the most important positions on the diamond. Because they don’t have anybody else.
Reds Mets Elly De La Cruz Elly De La Cruz's strikeout on Friday showed the next step he's working toward
Reds Mets opener The Reds' lineup strikes out, struggles vs. left-handers in loss to the Mets
And that makes De La Cruz the solution or the problem for the Reds now that they’re in a win-now mindset again.
As unfair as that is.
Like it or not.
“It’s easy for people and for Elly himself to want to get there as quickly as he can. That’s the attitude you need,” Reds manager David Bell said after De La Cruz struck out twice more and committed an error in Friday’s loss to the Mets. “As long as he’s working every day, that’s all that matters.”
That’s not even close to all that matters. Bell knows it. He played 12 seasons in the majors and played in a World Series.
Major league sports are about results. Full stop. That’s what matters. That’s all that matters.
Bell won’t say that when it comes to an individual player because he cares enough about the players not to single anyone out. It’s also a team game.
But De La Cruz needs to find a way to handle routine plays routinely more often and make good decisions in the field.
The nearly 50-percent strikeout rate? That’s not good either, but the impact can be mitigated some by, say, batting him ninth as a “second leadoff man,” and maybe providing a few more pitches to hit if he’s up with men on and the top of the order looming.
It’s the ill-advised glove flips from 15 feet away that turn into errors and other occasional lapses that have to be eliminated and will be up to him to make that happen.
Purely physical errors? They happen. They’re part of the game for anyone and part of the process for any young player.
But as unfair as it is, the Reds have placed a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of the 22-year-old who took the baseball world by storm for five weeks last year.
Now they need him way too soon to be way too steady.
Can he do it? He definitely exudes the confidence. He certainly has the ability.
The only thing for sure is that all eyes will be on him as he tries.
Not-So-Silent Assassin
Speaking of batting ninth, outfielder Will Benson made a good living at it last year, breaking out in 2023 and positioning himself for the everyday role — and higher spot in the order against righties — he earned this year.
In addition to looking remarkably more comfortable in the outfield this year, Benson has been an important weapon in the Reds’ depleted lineup, never more so than when he hit the tying home run in the ninth in the final game of the opening series against the Nationals.
And for those who noticed the gesture toward third-base coach J.R. House, that goes back to spring training and the big plans Benson has for this season.
“I kept joking with J.R., ‘What’s going to be my (home run) handshake?’ “ Benson said. “That’s what I came up with.” He calls it Silent Assassin.
Nothing he’s done for the Reds in the early going has been all that silent.
The Big Number: 2.56
That’s the Reds’ starting rotation ERA through seven games this season, less than half of the 5.43 mark that ranked third from the bottom in the majors last year. That 2023 performance, including barely 4 2/3-inning average per start, was the biggest reason the team missed the playoffs.
On the other hand, the rotation that is also averaging almost an inning more per start so far this year is the biggest reason for a pair of series wins to open the season.
And wait’ll next week. That’s when left-hander Nick Lodolo is supposed to rejoin the rotation after missing almost a year coming back from that leg injury.
Graham Crackin'
When Graham Ashcraft pitched six innings in his season debut in Philadelphia, allowing just two earned runs Tuesday, it marked his 13th consecutive start allowing three or fewer runs dating to last season — 11th of those of at least six innings.
Ashcraft, who was the Reds’ best pitcher in the second half last year until he could no longer pitch through fractures in two toes after Sept. 1, makes his second start of the season in Monday’s series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.
He Said It
“It’s hard to even imagine. Jake is one of the strongest people I’ve ever seen. Strong family, really close family. And like a rock through the whole thing. For Jake to be able to do what he’s doing here and be a dad and a husband and all that off the field, and do them all with love and care like he does, it’s amazing to see.”
*David Bell on Reds outfielder Jake Fraley, whose daughter Avery is in remission after undergoing treatment for leukemia since last fall.
Strike Force
You know those two impressive starts by Frankie Montas to start his Reds career?
Make it three.
When teammate Hunter Greene pumped almost nothing but strikes and dazzled for six innings against the Mets on Friday, he talked about watching other successful pitchers — in particular watching Montas pitch aggressively his first two starts.
“And listening to him speak while we’ve been on the bench,” Greene said, “a lot of his success have been getting ahead, competing in the zone and then putting guys away when he needs to.”
Talk about watching and listening.
Greene threw 71.7 percent of his pitches Friday for strikes (71 of 99), his highest percentage since he finished his rookie season on that four-start heater in 2022. (72.6 percent on Sept. 17 and 72.2 on Oct. 3 that season).
It was the fourth time he hit the 70-percent mark in 48 career starts (also 70.3 at Atlanta in April last year).
He’s allowed four earned runs in 24 innings (1.50 ERA) in those starts, with 35 strikeouts and two walks — the last stat obviously a key.
That’s how not-cute he can be with his 100-mph fastball and unhittable-when-located slider and have top-of-the-rotation success.
“I’ve been trying to watch (Montas’) games a lot and pay attention to him closely. It’s a great dude to watch and kind of replicate the game after,” Greene said. “Trying to get deeper into games myself, that’s the only way I’m going to be able to do that is by throwing strikes and trying to put guys away as soon as possible."
Did You Know
When Spencer Steer hit that 10th-inning grand slam Monday to beat the Phillies, it was the Reds’ first extra-inning grand slam since Todd Frazier hit one in 2015.
Yeah, you knew that.
But did you know Steer’s shot was only the fourth extra-inning slam by the Reds in 50 years?
Since Lee May’s in 1970, Adam Dunn also hit one in 2003 and Ramon Santiago in 2014.
And, yes, that was 33 years without one after May.
So you think you know Reds history?
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why Elly De La Cruz either the solution or problem for Cincinnati Reds
