WATCH: Reds superstar Elly De La Cruz unleashes cannon to deny Javier Baez in Tigers clash
Elly De La Cruz's dynamism and athleticism make the Cincinnati Reds superstar one of the most entertaining players in Major League Baseball. The Reds' shortstop was at it again during Saturday's game against the Detroit Tigers.
While De La Cruz has been hot at the plate for Cincinnati this season, the star infielder caught the spotlight with his rocket throw in the third inning of the game.
Following a drive to right field by the Tigers' Trey Sweeney, Reds right fielder Jake Fraley threw the ball to De La Cruz, who unleashed a 98.3 mph relay throw to catcher Jose Trevino to cut down Javier Báez's attempt to score.
De La Cruz's rocket throw to keep the game scoreless earned praise from Reds manager Terry Francona.
“I know it doesn’t count any more on the scoreboard, but it’s almost like an alley-oop dunk," Francona said. "You feel like you get some momentum."
Elly De La Cruz's throw was measured as the fourth-fastest assist by an infielder in the Statcast era. Incidentally, the Reds star features in the list four times, holding the fastest throw at 99.8 mph from a game in July 2023.
Elly De La Cruz's throw earns praise from Tigers manager
It was an unusual sight for a shortstop to catch a relay from the outfield, as it's usually the second baseman taking up that role. However, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch understood why the Reds had Elly De La Cruz at that position.
"De La Cruz is pretty much extraordinary in everything," Hinch said. "He's incredible. When they reversed that [relay], I don't blame them why they do it. They want him to take every outfield throw for that precise reason. And he threw a bullet."
Cruz was not only exceptional on defense but also drove in two runs for the team on offense and went deep with a solo home run. His 15th home run of the season gave the Reds a 1-0 lead in the game, and Cincinnati eventually won 11-1 in a dominant outing.
It was Elly De La Cruz's third consecutive game with a home run, the hottest streak of his career, improving him to .343/.443/.746 with seven home runs in his last 19 games.