Elly De La Cruz -- Prospect Evaluation

Elly De La Cruz, acquired as an international free agent in 2018, advanced quickly through the Cincinnati Reds system after his 2019 Dominican Summer League debut. Promoted to the Arizona Complex League in 2021 at age 19, he dominated with a .400/.455/.780 line and 11 extra-base hits in just 11 games, warranting promotion to Low-A Daytona. His performance was highly inconsistent throughout 2021: strong in August with seven doubles, six triples, and four home runs across 24 games, but declining significantly in September with a .261 average and only one extra-base hit across 13 games.

De La Cruz possesses exceptional athletic tools that distinguish him within the Reds organization. Scouts rate his raw power at 80-grade, the highest on the scale, and he demonstrates plus-plus arm strength from shortstop. He is a plus runner with good defensive instincts, though footwork and hands need refinement at the position. His hitting is graded as average and represents his weakest tool, though speed could add value through infield hits. Against left-handed pitchers, he performed better with a .311/.380/.622 line, suggesting potential splits that may inform his future development path.

Elly De La Cruz, a Cincinnati Reds shortstop prospect in Triple-A with the Louisville Bats, delivered an extraordinary performance on May 9, 2023, against Columbus. He recorded three hits with exceptional exit velocities: a 118.8 mph double (the hardest-hit ball in Triple-A and MLB that year), a 116.6 mph home run (456 feet), and a 117.1 mph home run (428 feet). He also drew a walk-off bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning for the game-winning 10-9 victory.

The performance highlights De La Cruz's elite power generation. He has accumulated four 116+ mph hits in a single week, accounting for two of only six 117+ mph hits recorded across all of baseball in 2023. For context, only Giancarlo Stanton matches De La Cruz with two 117+ mph hits this year, and 10 MLB teams have not achieved two such hits across the entire Statcast era (2015-2023).

Beyond raw power, De La Cruz's scouting report features three 80-grade tools. His speed metrics are equally impressive: sprint speeds measured at 31.1 feet per second and 30.9 feet per second, with a home-to-third time of 11.19 seconds on a triple. Only Corbin Carroll and Jake McCarthy have recorded faster times on a triple in MLB or Triple-A this season. These measurements, combined with his exceptional arm strength, position De La Cruz as an elite prospect across multiple athletic dimensions.

Elly De La Cruz earned his Major League call-up with the Cincinnati Reds on June 6, 2023, at age 21, following an outstanding Triple-A season. The switch-hitting shortstop compiled a .297 batting average with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs before promotion. Ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 4 prospect, De La Cruz possesses an exceptional combination of size (6-foot-5, 200 lbs), speed, and power that distinguishes him among young prospects.

De La Cruz has already established multiple records for hitting prowess. On May 9, 2023, he became the first player in the Statcast Era to hit balls exceeding 115 mph exit velocity from both sides of the plate, with a 116.6 mph home run from the left side and 117.1 mph from the right side. Throughout the 2023 season, he recorded the hardest-hit ball in the Majors and Minors at 118.8 mph and hit five home runs exceeding 116 mph—approaching the total hit by all major league players combined (nine), with only Giancarlo Stanton recording multiple such home runs at the MLB level.

Beyond raw power metrics, De La Cruz demonstrated elite athleticism, recording home-to-third times faster than any MLB player. His Spring Training performance also impressed despite not being expected to compete for the starting shortstop position, indicating his potential impact at the major league level. The Dominican Republic native was signed by the Reds in July 2018.

Elly De La Cruz is the subject of this scouting report from Prospects Worldwide, written by Drake Mann. De La Cruz is widely regarded as the top prospect in professional baseball and sits atop the Cincinnati Reds' prospect rankings. The shortstop has generated significant attention in the baseball industry despite limited playing time. In just 32 plate appearances, De La Cruz has demonstrated exceptional power output, reaching a maximum exit velocity of 114.8 mph—a figure that would rank among the top 20 in Major League Baseball. This metric underscores his significant potential as a power-hitting shortstop. The Cincinnati Reds organization has built an increasingly competitive farm system in recent years, with De La Cruz positioned as the cornerstone of their future roster. The organization's development of its minor league talent, particularly De La Cruz, suggests a solid foundation for the major league team's lineup construction moving forward.