Regardless of the night, the biggest name in the WNBA is Caitlin Clark. Even when she’s not playing, the media can’t stop talking about her, social media can’t stop debating about her and the WNBA can’t get enough of her and the attention she generates.
MLB needs to do the same thing with Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz.
De La Cruz has been one of the most exciting players in baseball since first stepping onto the field as a rookie for the Reds in 2023.
Notice that I didn’t say the best or the strongest.
No, Elly has been, arguably, the most exciting player on the MLB diamond since last season. The problem is that most don’t know it because he’s in a small market and MLB has always had a challenge promoting its players properly.
Last season, MLB took a few giant steps away from its stodgy, conservative ways and implemented rule changes that brought speed and excitement back to the game.
The league implemented a 30-second pitch clock, limited pickoff attempts to two, restricted defensive shifts and increased Interleague games from 20 to 46. Those moves brought fans back to the park, significantly shortened the length of games and enabled players like Elly De La Cruz to let loose.
The trouble is that MLB has yet to take advantage of the gift they unwrapped in 2023.
In only 98 games last season, the young player from the Dominican Republic only hit .235 with 13 HRs and 44 RBIs. But it wasn’t his hitting that captivated fans; it was his legs and arms.
Almost a year ago to the day, on July 8th, 2023, Elly electrified the crowd by stealing second, third and finally home during one wild sequence.
“The most thrilling man in baseball stole second, third and home!” exclaimed the announcer, which manifests the type of reaction De La Cruz elicits when he’s on the field.
He’s also a switch hitter with power from both sides, as evidenced by the 455-foot bomb he hit last year against the Nationals after the umpire checked his bat.
De La Cruz was a shot of adrenaline for a sleepy Reds team last year.
Before he was called up, the team was 27-33. In the 30 games after his arrival, the team went 23-7 and eventually finished the season at 82-80. During those 30 games, which led into the All-Star break, Elly batted .325 with 41 hits, 16 RBIs, 4 HRs and 16 stolen bases. That made him, according to ESPN Stats & Info, the first player in MLB history with 40 hits and 15 stolen bases through his first 30 career games.
At 6’5 and 200 pounds, Elly is reminiscent of Darryl Strawberry, Ken Griffey Jr. and Eric Davis. His powerful arm reminds fans of Vladimir Guerrero and Shawn Dunston and his speed and flair draw comparisons to Ronald Acuña Jr.
At the start of this season, most of the attention in baseball was given to Shohei Ohtani due to his big contract, amazing talents and, of course, the betting scandal he was thrust into. Lately, attention has shifted to Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes, and deservedly so.
But MLB would be making a serious mistake if it didn’t take advantage of the energy, passion, style and excitement that Elly brings to the ballpark every day.
Cruz now leads the league in stolen bases with 45 after swiping two on Monday night against the Rockies. That feat also made him the franchise record-holder in stolen bases before the All-Star break.
De La Cruz is currently hitting .251 with 15 HRs and 40 RBIs and he was just named to his first All-Star team on Sunday.
The young star is the team’s only player to have participated in all 90 games and he leads the Reds in home runs and has more stolen bases than the Blue Jays, Braves, Tigers, Yankees and Giants. At his current pace, he’s set to swipe 77 bases, which would be the most since the Mets Jose Reyes stole 78 in 2007.
He’s also the first player to have, according to MLB.com, “at least 14 homers, five triples and 40 stolen bases before the All-Star break since the Midsummer Classic began in 1933.”
De La Cruz is also improving off the field.
He’s worked on his English so he’s able to speak with reporters more comfortably and frequently; this past March the team conducted his press conference exclusively in English after using an interpreter in 2023.
Elly’s big smile is infectious, and his laid-back style and humor endear him to the media. When he said he was learning Japanese to speak with Shohei at the All-Star Game, the press ate it up.
Last week, De La Cruz became the third Major Leaguer, behind Acuña Jr (2023) and Rickey Henderson (1986, 1990) with 15 HRs and 40 steals over his team’s first 85 games.
There’s no doubt that Elly De La Cruz is one of the most exciting stars in the game, and at only 22, he can develop into a superstar with the stats to match.
That means that MLB needs to mimic the WNBA’s handling of Caitlin Clark now and make it Elly day, all day every day.
