Elly De La Cruz’s red-hot start to his heavily anticipated MLB career reached record-breaking levels Friday night.
In his 15th career MLB game, the Reds’ phenom legged out an RBI triple in the sixth inning against the Braves to complete a cycle in Cincinnati’s thrilling 11-10 win.
The 21-year-old De La Cruz, who was ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 prospect before he was called up to the big league roster earlier this month, hit a double in the second inning, a two-run home run in the third inning and an RBI-single in the fifth inning before the three-bagger.
The double was the hardest-hit ball of the Reds’ season and the second-hardest in team history in the Statcast era (since 2015).
Fans at Great American Ballpark gave De La Cruz a standing ovation, as the generational prospect continues to live up to his hype in the early stages of his career.
The moment marked the first Reds player to hit for the cycle since 1989 — when Eric Davis did it.
De La Cruz also became the youngest player to hit for the cycle since 1972, according to ESPN.
Additionally, De La Cruz is the first player to both hit for the cycle and steal a base in the same contest within the first 15 games of his career, according to Baseball Reference.
A 6-foot-5 shortstop, De La Cruz’s tantalizing five-tool ability has commanded wide-scale attention both in the minors and now in the majors.
Possessing rare raw power, a cannon for an arm and elite speed, De La Cruz’s rare combination of physique and ability has made him a must-watch talent.
De La Cruz entered Friday night’s game hitting .321/.387/.536 with a .923 OPS, two homers and six RBIs in 56 at-bats this season.
Prior to his call-up, De La Cruz slashed .298/.398/.633 with a 1.031 OPS, 12 homers and 36 RBIs with Triple-A Louisville.
And coinciding with his big league promotion, the Reds have become the hottest team in baseball and now own a 12-game winning streak after Friday night’s victory.
