Did Elly De La Cruz go to college? Exploring the MLB sensation's voyage to the big leagues and his overnight success
Elly De La Cruz has performed admirably ever since the Cincinnati Reds picked him. He has displayed the potential to be a five-tool player. Elly entered the first week in the big leagues and immediately showed that he belonged. After 19 games in the major, he has hit .299/.367/.533 with 3 homers, 10 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases.
Cincinnati Reds quickly identified the strength Elly De La Cruz possesses, signing him in 2018 as an international free agent. Although he received a signing bonus of $65,000, he rose to higher ranks since then. Elly was optioned this season to Cincinnati Reds' Triple-A affiliate Louisville Bats.
Elly De La Cruz stole second, third and home in the span of two pitches!
(MLB x @Ziprecruiter) https://t.co/tOogXBGcpi
After hammering 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 38 games with Louisville, he saw himself on the Red's roster on June 6th, 2023. Following an injury to Cincinnati's OF Nick Senzel, Elly De La Cruz's dream MLB start began.
The next day, he bagged his first major league home run. Two weeks later, he became the youngest player to hit for the cycle since Cesar Cedeno in 1972. Coming from a small town named Sabana Grande de Boya, he turned his love for baseball into a professional career, culminating in the stands chanting his name.
Elly De La Cruz, living the American dream
Since Elly started as an international free-agent, there have been no records of his official collegiate career. His skillset was quite dominant, which helped him land a spot on the bigger stage.
Former MLB star, Alex Rodriguez, saw what Elly was capable of quite early. In the Midsummer Classic at Seattle's T-Mobile Park, A-Rod said that the rising rookie must be in the game. Analyst John Smoltz also had some words of praise:
"He's definitely electrified the team, He's put some energy in there that is just hard to bottle up with his legs, his bat. I mean he stole three bases on two pitches."
Yankees All-Star Alex Rodriguez said @Reds Elly De La Cruz should be in the All-Star game. He’s right! Since he came up, Elly has broken several MLB records at the young age of 21!!!#EllyDeLaCruz twitter.com/enquirer/statu…
Elly De La Cruz stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 200 pounds. His physical presence in the game had uplifted the spirits of the Reds. He has it in him to be the best player on the roster for any team.
Cruz comes from a background where there were no leagues that could aid in the development of a professional career. To take a step toward his goal, he had to leave home at the age of 6. All that hard work is paying off now, and how!