A monster rookie. Just two games into his major league debut, he hit a huge home run. He also had the fastest triple of the season.
Cincinnati Reds rookie Eli De La Cruz has shown off his talents in just two games in the big leagues. De La Cruz started at shortstop in the No. 4 spot against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 8 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
Down 0-2, he faced Dodgers starter Noah Syndergaard with two outs in the first inning. Following an initial foul ball, De La Cruz swung at a 92-mph fastball on a body-high curveball and sent it over the right field fence.
It was a big home run, 458 feet (139.6 meters). The ball traveled at 114.8 mph (184.7 km/h), and he knew it was a home run the moment he hit it. The local broadcast crew let out an exclamation of “Oh, my God” as De La Cruz hit it.
“Known for his incredible bat speed and home run distance in the minors, de la Cruz did not disappoint in his first big league home run, a massive 458-foot (139.6-meter) blast at 114.8 mph (184.7 km/h),” MLB.com reported.
One out later in the inning, on a 2B-2S pitch count, he pulled a 77-mph curveball from Syndergaard for a long shot to right-center field. De la Cruz sprinted to second base and rounded third.
According to MLB.com, De La Cruz got 메이저사이트 from home to third base in 10.83 seconds, the fastest triple in the majors this season. The five-tool player has shown off his power and speed in his first two games.
In his big league debut against the Dodgers on June 6, De La Cruz hit his first big league hit as a double. It was a long ball to right-center field that hit 112 mph (180 km/h). It was the fastest hit by a Cincinnati hitter this season.
De la Cruz, a 6-foot-3 infielder from the Dominican Republic, joined Cincinnati as an international signing in 2018. He is the No. 4 overall and No. 1 Cincinnati prospect in this year’s MLB Pipeline prospect rankings. De la Cruz has quick feet, power, and defense that allows him to play utility infield positions at third base and shortstop.
In 120 games between High Single-A and Double-A last year, De La Cruz batted .945 with 28 doubles, 28 home runs, 86 RBI, 87 runs scored, 47 stolen bases, and a .945 OPS. In 38 games at Triple-A this year, he posted a .297/.398/.633 slash line with 12 homers, 36 RBI, 11 doubles and a 1.031 OPS.