(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Cincinnati Reds enjoyed a 12-game winning streak earlier this month that catapulted them into first place in the NL Central.
Their young core featuring stars such as Elly De La Cruz, Jonathan India, Spencer Steer, Matt McLain, Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, and Alexis Diaz has been the driving force on their recent run of success.
De La Cruz was recently called up and has been a godsend for the Reds so far.
He possesses power, speed, and elite defense, as well as a strong arm.
On Twitter, MLB Network posted a graphic which shows that De La Cruz currently is in the lead in several important categories.
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) June 29, 2023
This season, the 21-year-old shortstop has made the hardest throw tracked by infielder, clocking in at 97.5 mph.
He also owns the fastest average sprint speed of any player in all of baseball, covering 30.7 feet per second over a minimum of 25 competitive runs.
His exit velocities have turned some heads as well.
This season, he hit a ball that came off of the bat at 118.8 mph.
That’s the hardest recorded hit in the majors and in the minor leagues this year.
De La Cruz is hitting .301 on the season with three home runs, 11 RBI, nine stolen bases, and an OPS of .874.
In addition, he is reaching base at a .356 clip, slugging .518, and has an OPS+ of 128.
The Reds have been given a major boost by the emergence of De La Cruz and are reaping the benefits of having such a talented young star on their roster.
The post Elly De La Cruz Leads Several Elite Categories Since Debuting appeared first on The Cold Wire.