LOS ANGELES — One of the forces behind all that power of positive thinking about next season in the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse these days is the power of Elly De La Cruz.
As in the power of 444-foot home runs to the upper reaches of various bleachers – like the one he hit deep into the night of the middle game of this week’s series at Dodger Stadium.
As in the power of a right arm that apparently broke Statcast again a half-inning after that latest home run – when his relay throw from the middle of center field to prevent an inside-the-park home run registered 105.3 mph before MLB’s official metrics site pulled the figure down.
These are the things teammates see when they look into the future of next season and where the hope starts for any chance
they have to return to the playoffs next year for the first time since their two-game cameo against these same Dodgers at this same place a year ago.
“It’s no secret that he’s one of the best players in our game, especially at shortstop,” said teammate and pal Matt McLain, his double-play partner.
“We’ve said this like every year: He just keeps getting better and better.”
Even before that latest, long home run during the Reds’ 3-2 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday (Sept. 8), the two-time All-Star shortstop ranked fourth in the majors in position-player WAR at 5.2 (per fangraphs.com) – second only to MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs.
More than that, he might be performing better right now – for the past few weeks – than he has at any point in his career since breaking in like a baseball tsunami his first six weeks in 2023.
Hotter than manager Terry Francona has seen him in at any other point in two years as manager?
“Oh, boy, I don’t know. He’s had some really good stretches,” Francona said. “What’s nice is last year at this time he was really struggling, and he looks really good right now.”
Good. Healthy. Strong. Energetic.
That’s the thing.
In four Septembers in the big leagues, this is the first time De La Cruz has looked this fresh, this productive. His debut season he faded significantly down the stretch. In 2024, he faded less. Last year he played through a quad injury in the second half of a season he never missed a game, and it sapped much of his power.
That power is not an issue now. Especially at this place this week – a stadium where he sat two seasons ago when he declared, “This is my city.”
Los Angeles. Hollywood. The land of big stars, superhero scripts and feats you might see only on the big screen – like a 105.3-mph throw from an infielder?
De La Cruz’s home run Tuesday, for instance, tied his career high of 25, which also is the franchise record for a switch hitter.
And he’s done that in far fewer games than it took the first time, during his 2024 All-Star season. He played 160 games that year. No. 25 came in his 126th game of the season.
Francona suggested the three weeks De La Cruz missed in June because of a hamstring injury – along with a few strategic days at DH the last couple of weeks – might be factors in the fresher look into September for De La Cruz this year.
Whatever it is, the numbers don’t lie.
The night after hitting the first pitch he saw this series into the right-field seats from the left-side batter’s box, he hit one even farther off two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the right side for the tape-measure, tying shot in the third Tuesday. The rest of the Reds managed three hits and no other runs combined in Skubal’s 7 1/3 innings.
That gave him a seven-game hitting streak, during which he was 13-for-26 with two walks and home runs in the last four consecutive games.
He’s reached base in 16 straight games going back to Aug. 22 at Arizona.
After adding an opposite-field double in the eighth on Tuesday, he was 30-for-66 (.455) with five homers, seven walks, 12 RBIs, a .507 on-base percentage and .788 slugging (1.295 OPS).
And the power keeps coming. Later into the season than we’ve seen from him. With 17 games left to play.
The power.
That throw in the bottom of the third came from the middle of center field, and from nowhere judging by the collective gasp of more than 48,000 in attendance, to nab Teoscar Hernandez trying for an inside-the-park home run.
The throw beat him by more than a full step.
And whether it was 105.3 mph or merely 98 or 99 – or even the 109 that he registered in San Diego on an errant throw to first a couple of years ago before Statcast pulled down that number, too, for lack of verification – the sheer power is undeniable.
Power of the bat. Power of the arm.
Maybe even the power of hope for any chance the Reds have to rebound next season.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Power of Elly De La Cruz not enough for Cincinnati Reds against champs
