Elly De La Cruz Bio
Elly Antonio De La Cruz (born January 11, 2002) is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). Signed by the Reds as an international free agent in 2018, he reached the major leagues in 2023 and quickly became one of the most talked-about young stars in the game. A two-time MLB All-Star in 2024 and 2025, De La Cruz combines rare size, speed, and power at a position traditionally reserved for smaller, defensive-first players.
Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, De La Cruz is one of the tallest shortstops in MLB history and one of its fastest players. He led the major leagues in stolen bases in 2024 and joined an exclusive group of players who have hit 20 home runs and stolen 60 bases in a single season. His combination of tools, energy, and production has made him a centerpiece of the Reds’ rebuild and a popular figure across baseball.
Early Life and Background
Elly Antonio De La Cruz was born on January 11, 2002, in Sabana Grande de Boyá, a small town in the Dominican Republic. He grew up in a large family as one of nine children, with eight older siblings. Baseball is deeply woven into daily life in the Dominican Republic, and De La Cruz took to the sport at a young age, playing informal games and organized youth ball in his hometown.
From early on, De La Cruz showed the physical traits that would later define his professional profile: long limbs, smooth athleticism, and natural strength. His hometown produced several baseball prospects, and the local culture encouraged talented teenagers to chase opportunities with major league organizations. By his mid-teens, De La Cruz was on the radar of international scouts, who watched him play shortstop and third base.
Path to Baseball
On July 2, 2018, the Cincinnati Reds signed De La Cruz as an international free agent, awarding him a $65,000 signing bonus. At the time, he was a 16-year-old shortstop with a projectable frame and easy actions in the field. The Reds placed him in their Dominican development pipeline, where he could adjust to professional training while continuing to grow physically.
De La Cruz made his professional debut in 2019 with the Dominican Summer League Reds at age 17, hitting .285 with one home run and three steals in 43 games. He did not play in 2020 after the minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When play resumed in 2021, he advanced to the Arizona Complex League Reds and Single-A Daytona Tortugas, where Baseball America named him the best player in the Arizona Complex League, the fourth-best player in the Low-A Southeast, and the best athlete and fastest baserunner in the Reds’ organization.
In 2022, De La Cruz took a major step forward while splitting time between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga. He hit .304 with 28 home runs and 47 stolen bases in 121 games, becoming the first minor league player since George Springer in 2013 to bat .300 with at least 25 home runs and 40 stolen bases. He was named the Reds’ Minor League Player of the Year, a Midwest League Postseason All-Star, the Midwest League Prospect of the Year, and an All-Star in the All-Star Futures Game. On November 15, 2022, the Reds added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Elly De La Cruz Career
Minor League Foundation (2019–2023)
De La Cruz spent four seasons in the Reds’ farm system, climbing steadily from the Dominican Summer League to Triple-A Louisville. Across that stretch, he showed a rare blend of plate discipline, raw power, and base-running speed, while also learning to play a steady shortstop despite his unusual height for the position. Coaches praised his work ethic, and Baseball America repeatedly highlighted him as one of the top prospects in baseball.
Heading into 2023, the Reds optioned De La Cruz to Triple-A Louisville, where he hit .298 with 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 38 games. His performance in the minors, combined with a crowded Reds infield, set the stage for a promotion once a roster opening appeared.
MLB Debut and Rookie Season (2023)
On June 6, 2023, the Reds promoted De La Cruz to the major leagues following an injury to Nick Senzel. At 21 years old, he was the fifth-youngest player in the National League and one of the tallest shortstops in MLB history at 6 feet 5 inches. Teammate Joey Votto called him “the best runner I’ve ever seen, and he has the most power I’ve ever seen. And he has the strongest arm I’ve ever seen.”
De La Cruz wasted little time making an impact. On June 7, 2023, he hit his first major league home run, a 458-foot shot against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On June 23, he hit for the cycle, becoming the first Reds player to do so since Eric Davis in 1989 and the youngest player to accomplish the feat since César Cedeño in 1972. On July 8, he stole second, third, and home in the same inning, the first Reds player to do that since Greasy Neale in 1919. On July 16, he broke the Statcast record for fastest infield assist since at least 2015 with a 97.9 mph throw.
In his rookie season, De La Cruz hit 13 home runs and seven triples with 35 stolen bases over 388 at-bats, while striking out 144 times and batting .235. Statcast tracked him and Bobby Witt Jr. as the fastest players in MLB in 2023 at 30.5 feet per second sprint speed, signaling that his tools were already translating against major league competition.
Breakthrough Season (2024)
De La Cruz’s second season in the majors was his national breakout. On May 16, 2024, against the Dodgers, he became the first MLB player since Ichiro Suzuki in 2012 to record four hits and four stolen bases in a single game. On July 7, he was named a reserve for the MLB All-Star Game, his first All-Star selection. On July 8, he set a new Reds record for most stolen bases before the All-Star break with 45, surpassing Billy Hamilton’s mark of 44 set in 2015.
On August 21, 2024, De La Cruz became the fifth player since 1900 and the first shortstop in major league history to hit at least 20 home runs and steal 60 bases in a season, joining Eric Davis and Joe Morgan as the only Reds to reach the 20–50 club. He finished the year with 25 home runs and 67 stolen bases in 160 games, ranking eighth in National League Most Valuable Player voting.
Cincinnati Reds Era (2023–Present)
De La Cruz has been a fixture in the Reds’ everyday lineup since his debut, playing primarily shortstop while occasionally seeing time at third base. On January 28, 2025, he was announced as one of three cover athletes for MLB The Show 25, becoming the first Reds player ever featured on the video game’s cover. The honor underscored his growing profile both on and off the field.
On May 11, 2025, he became the first player in major league history since 1900 with 115 extra-base hits and 115 stolen bases through his first 300 career games, hitting a three-run home run against the Houston Astros. On May 23, with his 300th career hit against the Chicago Cubs, he reached 300 hits, 150 runs batted in, and 100 stolen bases in 310 games, faster than any player since runs batted in became an official statistic in 1920, breaking Hanley Ramírez’s record of 328 games.
After a strong start to the 2025 season, De La Cruz was named to his second consecutive All-Star Game. He struggled in August and September, and Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall later revealed that De La Cruz had played through a strained left quadriceps. Despite the late-season slump, the Reds confirmed their plan to keep him at shortstop, the position where his size, arm, and range make him a unique defensive weapon.
Driving Style and Strengths
De La Cruz pairs elite sprint speed with unusual upper-body strength, allowing him to beat out grounders and drive the ball with authority. His sprint speed consistently ranks at the top of MLB, and his arm strength is the strongest among infielders in the majors. Even as he works to refine his plate discipline, his combination of power and base running creates constant pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include his 458-foot first major league home run, his cycle against the Dodgers, his record-tying single-inning steal of second, third, and home, and his 20–60 power-speed season in 2024. He has already joined Hall of Fame-caliber names such as Eric Davis, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Frank Robinson, and César Cedeño on several Reds and MLB historical lists.
Elly De La Cruz Career Wins
Because De La Cruz plays shortstop, his “wins” are tracked as milestones, awards, and statistical achievements rather than as a pitcher’s record. Across his first three major league seasons, he has been selected to two MLB All-Star Games, led the league in stolen bases, and set several Reds franchise and MLB records.
MLB Highlights
De La Cruz has been named an MLB All-Star in both 2024 and 2025. He led the major leagues with 67 stolen bases in 2024, the highest total in baseball and a new standard for modern power-speed shortstops. His 25 home runs that same season made him one of only a handful of players in MLB history to combine a 25-homer season with 60-plus steals.
His most recent verified milestone came on May 23, 2025, when he became the fastest player since 1920 to reach 300 hits, 150 RBI, and 100 stolen bases, doing so in 310 career games. That performance followed his record-setting run of 115 extra-base hits and 115 stolen bases through his first 300 games, a mark unmatched since 1900.
Other Wins & Performances
De La Cruz was the first Reds player featured as a cover athlete for the MLB The Show video game series, headlining MLB The Show 25. He also earned Midwest League Prospect of the Year honors in 2022 and was named the Reds’ Minor League Player of the Year after posting a .304 average with 28 home runs and 47 stolen bases.
Elly De La Cruz Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
De La Cruz grew up in Sabana Grande de Boyá in the Dominican Republic as one of nine children, with eight older siblings. His family nurtured his early interest in baseball, and the strong baseball culture of his hometown helped him develop his skills before he signed with the Reds.
Personal Life
On May 31, 2025, De La Cruz’s older sister, Genelis De La Cruz Sanchez, passed away. Despite the loss, he chose to play against the Chicago Cubs the next day and hit a home run in his third at-bat. After rounding the bases, he pointed to the sky and made a heart gesture to honor her, a moment that resonated across baseball.
2025 Season Performance
De La Cruz opened the 2025 season in strong form and was selected to his second consecutive MLB All-Star Game after a productive first half. Through the end of July, he was hitting .285/.363/.489, continuing his combination of extra-base power and base-running aggression. Historic milestones piled up quickly, including his record-setting pace to 300 hits, 150 runs batted in, and 100 stolen bases, and his appearance as a cover athlete for MLB The Show 25.
After the All-Star break, De La Cruz’s production slowed. He hit .221/.280/.341 to close the season, the lowest slugging percentage of any stretch in his career. Following the year, Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall disclosed that De La Cruz had been playing through a strained left quadriceps, an injury the club believes contributed to both his offensive dip and some defensive lapses at shortstop.
Looking ahead, the Reds have made it clear they intend to keep De La Cruz at shortstop and build their infield around his rare mix of size, speed, and right-handed power. With two All-Star selections, an MLB stolen-base title, and a place on a major video game cover already on his resume, his career trajectory points toward continued stardom in Cincinnati.
