Elly De La Cruz Stats & Scouting Report

AB	507
AVG	.262
OBP	.344
SLG	.481
HR	22

Full name Elly Antonio De La Cruz
Born 01/11/2002 in Sabana Grande De Boya, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: S / Throws: R

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 70/Very High

Track Record: In 2008, the Reds signed outfielder Juan Duran as one of their top targets on the international market. Duran was 6-foot-3 when he signed, but he quickly grew to 6-foot-7 in the next year. His body struggled to handle the sudden growth spurt, and he became a hulking, strikeout-prone slugger rather than the well-rounded outfielder the Reds thought they were signing. Like Duran, De La Cruz gained four inches soon after he signed. But unlike Duran, De La Cruz transformed from a skinny, overlooked Dominican teenager into a potential star following his the growth spurt. As De La Cruz grew to 6-foot-5--or taller, as some officials suggest--he's gotten stronger and faster, thanks to his growth spurt and plenty of training. He went from a $65,000 signee in 2018 to a player who needed just 11 games in the Arizona Complex League in 2021 to prove he was too advanced for the level. Sent to High-A Dayton to start the 2022 season, De La Cruz finished second in the league with 20 home runs despite being promoted to Double-A Chattanooga in mid July.

Scouting Report: De La Cruz has the best raw power in the Reds organization. He's also one of the fastest players. And he has the strongest arm. Add it all up and he's the best athlete the Reds have had since the days of Eric Davis and Deion Sanders. De La Cruz has long levers and a big strike zone. His strikeout rate of nearly 31% in 2022 ranked in the bottom 15% of all minor league hitters with at least 300 plate appearances. He was the only batting title qualifier to strike out at least 30% of the time while also hitting .300. While De La Cruz isn't just a hacker at the plate, his strikeout rate is the major hurdle standing in the way of stardom. De La Cruz's lefthanded swing is smoother and more powerful than his more contact-oriented righthanded one. His intelligence, focus and determination draw nearly as many raves as his tools. He has quickly picked up English, which has helped him become a team leader despite always being one of the youngest players on his teams. De La Cruz has made it clear that he wants to be the Reds' shortstop of the future. His length and arm strength allow him to make highlight-reel plays, and he's comfortable making plays on the move. He could be an above-average shortstop, but evaluators see him as a potential plus-plus defender at third base with exceptional range to his left.

The Future: De La Cruz is the highest-ceiling prospect the Reds have had in years. His combination of athleticism, power and speed gives him a chance to be a big league star, but his strikeout rate could keep him from reaching that ceiling. Up through Double-A, his chase rates and swing-and-miss issues haven't slowed him down, but he will have to improve them to be a consistent hitter in the major leagues. He'll head to Triple-A Louisville to start the 2023 season. De La Cruz is typically a slow starter when it's cold, but by June or July he could be pushing for a callup to Cincinnati.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Speed: 70. Fielding: 55. Arm: 70
Track Record: Few prospects have come as quickly out of nowhere into prominence as de la Cruz. Signed for just $65,000, de la Cruz made his Dominican Summer League debut in 2019 and then had to wait until 2021 to get into another game—he wasn’t part of the Reds alternate site or instructional league in 2020. He played his way out of the Arizona Complex League by having 11 extra-base hits in just 11 games. Since signing he’s grown three inches and added 35 pounds.

Scouting Report: No Reds prospect has a higher ceiling than de la Cruz. There are few players in the majors or minors with three 70s on their scouting report. De la Cruz is a plus-plus runner with a plus-plus arm and plus-plus raw power. His tool set and his frame draw comparisons to Pirates shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz. Coaches and scouts rave that de la Cruz’s understanding of the game may be as impressive as his tools and he embraces working to get better. De la Cruz split his time between shortstop and third base. He has a legitimate shot to stick at short thanks to excellent hands and his railgun of an arm, but he would fit at third or in center field as well. The biggest concern with de la Cruz is his extremely aggressive at-bats. He approaches every at-bat as if he can hit everything. More advanced pitchers will force him to adjust, but he has the bat-to-ball skills to eventually do so.

The Future: De la Cruz looked like a future star in his U.S. debut. He has a lot of work ahead of him and his approach will have to improve, but he has a shot to hit in the middle of the lineup while also playing a premium defensive position. He should be ready for High-A Dayton.

Minor League Top Prospects

Nearly as soon as he debuted in the Arizona Complex League, de la Cruz became the talk of the minor leagues. His frame, tool set and knack for making consistent, loud contact, made him one of the quickest-rising prospects in the game. De la Cruz quickly moved to Low-A, where he continued wowing scouts and managers alike. His maximum exit velocity of 112.2 mph was among the best in the league, and his average of 89.3 mph wasn’t far off, either. In addition to his power, de la Cruz also impressed evaluators with his speed, which showed up more in how quickly he went from first to third than on stolen base tries, on which he went 10-for-15. De la Cruz needs to polish his command of the strike zone, but managers noticed confidence, a high baseball IQ and smoothness to his game that belied his age and inexperience.
De la Cruz, who signed for just $65,000, was an unknown commodity coming into extended spring training, but it didn’t take long for scouts covering the Arizona backfields to notice the tall, lanky switch-hitting athlete with a plethora of plus tools. The 19-year-old played just 11 games in the ACL, producing a batting line of .400/.455/.780 before being promoted to Low-A Daytona. Drawing frequent comparisons to Pirates prospect Oneil Cruz as an extra tall and strong infielder with a sky-high ceiling, de la Cruz is a plus-plus athlete and has plus-plus speed and plus raw power. He may wind up at third base or even the outfield, where his plus arm will be more than enough. De la Cruz is an aggressive hitter able to manage his long levers at the plate and make adjustments during at-bats, but he expands his zone and needs to learn to wait for pitches he can drive. “Power, speed, character—he’s just got tons of upside,” Reds manager Bryan LaHair said.

Top 100 Rankings

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 70/Very High

Track Record: In 2008, the Reds signed outfielder Juan Duran as one of their top targets on the international market. Duran was 6-foot-3 when he signed, but he quickly grew to 6-foot-7 in the next year. His body struggled to handle the sudden growth spurt, and he became a hulking, strikeout-prone slugger rather than the well-rounded outfielder the Reds thought they were signing. Like Duran, De La Cruz gained four inches soon after he signed. But unlike Duran, De La Cruz transformed from a skinny, overlooked Dominican teenager into a potential star following his the growth spurt. As De La Cruz grew to 6-foot-5--or taller, as some officials suggest--he's gotten stronger and faster, thanks to his growth spurt and plenty of training. He went from a $65,000 signee in 2018 to a player who needed just 11 games in the Arizona Complex League in 2021 to prove he was too advanced for the level. Sent to High-A Dayton to start the 2022 season, De La Cruz finished second in the league with 20 home runs despite being promoted to Double-A Chattanooga in mid July.

Scouting Report: De La Cruz has the best raw power in the Reds organization. He's also one of the fastest players. And he has the strongest arm. Add it all up and he's the best athlete the Reds have had since the days of Eric Davis and Deion Sanders. De La Cruz has long levers and a big strike zone. His strikeout rate of nearly 31% in 2022 ranked in the bottom 15% of all minor league hitters with at least 300 plate appearances. He was the only batting title qualifier to strike out at least 30% of the time while also hitting .300. While De La Cruz isn't just a hacker at the plate, his strikeout rate is the major hurdle standing in the way of stardom. De La Cruz's lefthanded swing is smoother and more powerful than his more contact-oriented righthanded one. His intelligence, focus and determination draw nearly as many raves as his tools. He has quickly picked up English, which has helped him become a team leader despite always being one of the youngest players on his teams. De La Cruz has made it clear that he wants to be the Reds' shortstop of the future. His length and arm strength allow him to make highlight-reel plays, and he's comfortable making plays on the move. He could be an above-average shortstop, but evaluators see him as a potential plus-plus defender at third base with exceptional range to his left.

The Future: De La Cruz is the highest-ceiling prospect the Reds have had in years. His combination of athleticism, power and speed gives him a chance to be a big league star, but his strikeout rate could keep him from reaching that ceiling. Up through Double-A, his chase rates and swing-and-miss issues haven't slowed him down, but he will have to improve them to be a consistent hitter in the major leagues. He'll head to Triple-A Louisville to start the 2023 season. De La Cruz is typically a slow starter when it's cold, but by June or July he could be pushing for a callup to Cincinnati.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Speed: 70. Fielding: 55. Arm: 70
BA Grade/Risk: 70/Very High

Track Record: In 2008, the Reds signed outfielder Juan Duran as one of their top targets on the international market. Duran was 6-foot-3 when he signed, but he quickly grew to 6-foot-7 in the next year. His body struggled to handle the sudden growth spurt, and he became a hulking, strikeout-prone slugger rather than the well-rounded outfielder the Reds thought they were signing. Like Duran, De La Cruz gained four inches soon after he signed. But unlike Duran, De La Cruz transformed from a skinny, overlooked Dominican teenager into a potential star following his the growth spurt. As De La Cruz grew to 6-foot-5--or taller, as some officials suggest--he's gotten stronger and faster, thanks to his growth spurt and plenty of training. He went from a $65,000 signee in 2018 to a player who needed just 11 games in the Arizona Complex League in 2021 to prove he was too advanced for the level. Sent to High-A Dayton to start the 2022 season, De La Cruz finished second in the league with 20 home runs despite being promoted to Double-A Chattanooga in mid July.

Scouting Report: De La Cruz has the best raw power in the Reds organization. He's also one of the fastest players. And he has the strongest arm. Add it all up and he's the best athlete the Reds have had since the days of Eric Davis and Deion Sanders. De La Cruz has long levers and a big strike zone. His strikeout rate of nearly 31% in 2022 ranked in the bottom 15% of all minor league hitters with at least 300 plate appearances. He was the only batting title qualifier to strike out at least 30% of the time while also hitting .300. While De La Cruz isn't just a hacker at the plate, his strikeout rate is the major hurdle standing in the way of stardom. De La Cruz's lefthanded swing is smoother and more powerful than his more contact-oriented righthanded one. His intelligence, focus and determination draw nearly as many raves as his tools. He has quickly picked up English, which has helped him become a team leader despite always being one of the youngest players on his teams. De La Cruz has made it clear that he wants to be the Reds' shortstop of the future. His length and arm strength allow him to make highlight-reel plays, and he's comfortable making plays on the move. He could be an above-average shortstop, but evaluators see him as a potential plus-plus defender at third base with exceptional range to his left.

The Future: De La Cruz is the highest-ceiling prospect the Reds have had in years. His combination of athleticism, power and speed gives him a chance to be a big league star, but his strikeout rate could keep him from reaching that ceiling. Up through Double-A, his chase rates and swing-and-miss issues haven't slowed him down, but he will have to improve them to be a consistent hitter in the major leagues. He'll head to Triple-A Louisville to start the 2023 season. De La Cruz is typically a slow starter when it's cold, but by June or July he could be pushing for a callup to Cincinnati.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Speed: 70. Fielding: 55. Arm: 70
BA Grade: 60/Extreme

Track Record: Few prospects have come as quickly out of nowhere into prominence as de la Cruz. Signed for just $65,000, de la Cruz made his Dominican Summer League debut in 2019 and then had to wait until 2021 to get into another game—he wasn&#39t part of the Reds alternate site or instructional league in 2020. He played his way out of the Arizona Complex League by having 11 extra-base hits in just 11 games.

Scouting Report: No Reds prospect has a higher ceiling than de la Cruz. There are few players in the majors or minors with three 70s on their scouting report. De la Cruz is a plus-plus runner with a plus-plus arm and plus-plus raw power. Coaches and scouts rave that his understanding of the game may be as impressive as his tools and he embraces working to get better. De la Cruz split his time between shortstop and third base. He has a legitimate shot to stick at short thanks to excellent hands and his railgun of an arm, but he would fit at third or in center field as well. The biggest concern with de la Cruz is his extremely aggressive at-bats. He approaches every at-bat as if he can hit everything. More advanced pitchers will force him to adjust.

The Future: De la Cruz looked like a future star in his U.S. debut. He has a lot of work ahead of him and his approach will have to improve, but he has a shot to hit in the middle of the lineup while also playing a premium defensive position. He should be ready for High-A Dayton.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 70. Fielding: 55. Arm: 70.
Track Record: Few prospects have come as quickly out of nowhere into prominence as de la Cruz. Signed for just $65,000, de la Cruz made his Dominican Summer League debut in 2019 and then had to wait until 2021 to get into another game—he wasn’t part of the Reds alternate site or instructional league in 2020. He played his way out of the Arizona Complex League by having 11 extra-base hits in just 11 games. Since signing he’s grown three inches and added 35 pounds.

Scouting Report: No Reds prospect has a higher ceiling than de la Cruz. There are few players in the majors or minors with three 70s on their scouting report. De la Cruz is a plus-plus runner with a plus-plus arm and plus-plus raw power. His tool set and his frame draw comparisons to Pirates shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz. Coaches and scouts rave that de la Cruz’s understanding of the game may be as impressive as his tools and he embraces working to get better. De la Cruz split his time between shortstop and third base. He has a legitimate shot to stick at short thanks to excellent hands and his railgun of an arm, but he would fit at third or in center field as well. The biggest concern with de la Cruz is his extremely aggressive at-bats. He approaches every at-bat as if he can hit everything. More advanced pitchers will force him to adjust, but he has the bat-to-ball skills to eventually do so.

The Future: De la Cruz looked like a future star in his U.S. debut. He has a lot of work ahead of him and his approach will have to improve, but he has a shot to hit in the middle of the lineup while also playing a premium defensive position. He should be ready for High-A Dayton.
De la Cruz, who signed for just $65,000, was an unknown commodity coming into extended spring training, but it didn’t take long for scouts covering the Arizona backfields to notice the tall, lanky switch-hitting athlete with a plethora of plus tools. The 19-year-old played just 11 games in the ACL, producing a batting line of .400/.455/.780 before being promoted to Low-A Daytona. Drawing frequent comparisons to Pirates prospect Oneil Cruz as an extra tall and strong infielder with a sky-high ceiling, de la Cruz is a plus-plus athlete and has plus-plus speed and plus raw power. He may wind up at third base or even the outfield, where his plus arm will be more than enough. De la Cruz is an aggressive hitter able to manage his long levers at the plate and make adjustments during at-bats, but he expands his zone and needs to learn to wait for pitches he can drive. “Power, speed, character—he’s just got tons of upside,” Reds manager Bryan LaHair said.
Nearly as soon as he debuted in the Arizona Complex League, de la Cruz became the talk of the minor leagues. His frame, tool set and knack for making consistent, loud contact, made him one of the quickest-rising prospects in the game. De la Cruz quickly moved to Low-A, where he continued wowing scouts and managers alike. His maximum exit velocity of 112.2 mph was among the best in the league, and his average of 89.3 mph wasn’t far off, either. In addition to his power, de la Cruz also impressed evaluators with his speed, which showed up more in how quickly he went from first to third than on stolen base tries, on which he went 10-for-15. De la Cruz needs to polish his command of the strike zone, but managers noticed confidence, a high baseball IQ and smoothness to his game that belied his age and inexperience.
No Reds prospect has done more to open eyes this year than de la Cruz. The teenager has shown a plus arm, plus power and plus speed. His eventual defensive home is unclear—he's more likely a third baseman than shortstop because of his hands and actions but center field is also a long-term possibility. But his ability to do a lot of different things well makes him a name to keep an eye on.