Elly De La Cruz had already created history before he ever set foot on a major league field. The highly anticipated Reds prospect made his MLB debut at home on Tuesday night (6 June) against the Dodgers after tearing up Triple-A competition with 12 home runs and a 1.031 OPS in 38 games.
According to Sarah Langs, when Cincinnati manager David Bell filled up the lineup card and put the 21-year-old third baseman in position No. 4, De La Cruz became the fifth-youngest player to make his MLB debut in the cleanup spot over the previous 100 years.
De La Cruz more than met the high standards set before his entry into the elite leagues. In his debut at-bat, he drew a walk and drove in a run in the bottom of the first inning. He subsequently recorded his first hit in the third inning against Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin with a rocket double to center field.
Take a look at the below tweet by Cincinnati Reds-
Elly De La Cruz’s first big league hit came off the bat at 112 mph…
Congrats, @ellylacocoa18‼️ pic.twitter.com/tSwaeRQe3V
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 7, 2023
De La Cruz’s double, which had an exit velocity of 112 mph, was the hardest-hit ball by a Reds batter this year, as per Langs. Later, he walked in the fifth inning before being finally struck out on a groundout in the sixth. He went 1-for-3 with two walks in eight innings before striking out looking.
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Bell demonstrated a great deal of faith by assigning a player to the cleanup position in his MLB debut, and De La Cruz rewarded him with an outstanding performance. Given his promising debut, it’s safe to believe the young player can adapt to hitting in the middle of the Reds’ order going forward.
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