Elly De La Cruz Cincinnati Reds third base Elly De La Cruz (44) celebrates after hitting a 2-run home run in the third inning of the MLB baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Friday, June 23, 2023.
FeaturedMLBBy Michael Dixon on

Elly De La Cruz has provided a significant jolt to the Cincinnati Reds since getting called up in the first week of June. That continued on Friday, as De La Cruz did something no Reds player has done in 34 years.

De La Cruz doubled, homered and singled in his first three at-bats of Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves.

When he came to the plate in the sixth inning, he completed the cycle. De La Cruz drilled a 2-2 pitch from Atlanta’s Ben Heller into the right-center field gap. Atlanta centerfielder Michael Harris II chased the ball down and fired it into cut-off man, Ozzie Albies. Albies threw to third but there was no real play, as De La Cruz was well ahead of the throw.

Cycles are relatively common, usually happening several times a season. We haven’t seen a cycle quite like this one in a long time.

Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer noted that De La Cruz’s cycle was the first for the Reds since Eric Davis in 1989. He also stated that Cincinnati had the longest cycle drought of any team in the league.

Additionally, ESPN shared that De La Cruz, who is 21, is the youngest player to hit for the cycle in a game since 1972, when César Cedeño cycled for the Houston Astros against the Reds.

De La Cruz has been impressed baseball fans everywhere since he made his Major League debut. This was no exception, as fans of the Reds and other teams continued to marvel at the 21-year-old who’s made a huge mark in such a short time.

[Gordon Wittenmyer, ESPN]

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