Elly De La Cruz Jun 6, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Elly De La Cruz reacts after hitting his first career hit for a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
FeaturedMLBBy Arthur Weinstein on

The Elly De La Cruz hype train has not just left the station, it’s reached maximum cruising speed.

The Cincinnati Reds’ highly touted rookie hit his first career home run Wednesday night, and it was epic. De La Cruz belted a fastball from Los Angeles Dodgers starter Noah Syndergaard 458 feet for a two-run shot in the first inning.

“Oh goodness!” Reds play-by-play man John Sadak proclaimed as the ball exploded off De La Cruz’s bat. “That ball had a family!”

 

To put that 458-foot shot into perspective, it’s the fifth-longest by a batter hitting his first home run since Statcast began tracking the numbers in 2015.

Coming on the heels of De La Cruz’s impressive MLB debut Tuesday, and it’s easy to see why MLB Pipeline rates him the No. 4 prospect in baseball. In Tuesday’s game, De La Cruz went 1-for-3, with a 112 mph double and two walks. And he made solid contact on one of his outs, a 108.7 mph groundout.

MLB fans quickly reacted to the rookie’s bomb, although some were still trying to explain what he had done Tuesday in his debut.

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About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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