Reds Phenom Elly De La Cruz Flashes Speed in Win: ‘I Am the Fastest Man in the World’ | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
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In his first week as a major league ball player, Cincinnati Reds’ rookie Elly De La Cruz has burst onto the scene in a big way.
Literally.
The 21-year-old made his debut June 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Great American Ball Park and has been completely electric, bringing some life to a Reds’ season that has been mostly uneventful.
And Saturday’s 8-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals was yet another example of that. De La Cruz kept up his hot streak, ending the game with a RBI, a stolen base and an explosive base-running display in which he scored from first after sliding head-first into home plate in the seventh inning.
He’s well aware of just how good he’s been over his first few games.
“I am the fastest man in the world,” he said following the win.
The No. 4 prospect in all of baseball and the Reds’ top prospect in their farm system, De La Cruz has every reason in the world to carry this much swag and confidence. He’s found success at the MLB level immediately, which is especially rare for a rookie joining a team in the middle of a season.
Saturday’s display came just a few games after the Dominican Republic native had one of the most memorable and exhilarating first home runs in recent baseball memory, a monstrous 458-foot bomb against the Dodgers on Wednesday.
In just five games, De La Cruz is hitting .316 with six hits, five runs scored, a home run and three RBI. He was called up following an injury to outfielder Nick Senzel.
The budding star may be exactly what Cincinnati needs to turn its season around and crash into the postseason. The Reds sit in third-place, just 4.5 games behind the leading Pittsburgh Pirates with plenty of time left to play.
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