Elly De La Cruz Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 6 ft 5 in |
Weight | 91 kg |
Date of Birth | January 11, 2002 |
Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Elly De La Cruz is a Dominican professional baseball player who has represented the Cincinnati Reds (2023-Present), as a shortstop/third baseman, in MLB (Major League Baseball, the oldest major professional sports league in the world). He signed up with the Cincinnati Reds as an international ‘free agent’ (a player who is not under contract to any specific team and eligible to sign with other clubs/franchises; or a player who is under contract at present but allowed to solicit offers from other teams) in July 2018 – Elly eventually made his MLB debut for the franchise on June 6, 2023.
Born Name
Elly Antonio De La Cruz
Nick Name
La Cocoa
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Born Place
Sabana Grande de Boyá, Monte Plata, Dominican Republic
Residence
United States
Nationality
Occupation
Professional Baseball Player
Family
- Father – Antonio De La Cruz
- Mother – Carmen De La Cruz
- Siblings – He has 8 older siblings.
Batting
Switch
Throwing
Right-Handed
Positions Played
Shortstop / Third Baseman
Jersey Number
- 4 – Daytona Tortugas
- 18 – Dayton Dragons
- 22 – Chattanooga Lookouts
- 44 – Louisville Bats, Cincinnati Reds
Net Worth
Elly De La Cruz’s net worth had been $400 thousand according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft 5 in or 195.5 cm
Weight
91 kg or 200.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Multiracial (Hispanic and Black)
He is of Afro-Dominican descent.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Towering frame
- Long, dense, dreadlocked hair
- Sports a chinstrap beard
- Affable smile
Elly De La Cruz Facts
- Although Elly had signed up with the Cincinnati Reds as an international free agent in July 2018, he made his professional debut only in 2019 – with the Dominican Summer League Reds, a team in the Dominican Summer League (the only Latin America-based rookie baseball league).
- The Dominican Summer League is affiliated with MiLB (Minor League Baseball) – a league that operates at a rung below Major League Baseball. Elly could not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season, caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In 2021, he represented the Arizona Complex League Reds (a rookie-level affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) and the Daytona Tortugas (the 4th-tier minor-league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds). He played in 61 games and recorded 8 home runs (scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team), 42 runs batted in (RBIs), and 10 stolen bases.
- For his performances, Baseball America (a sports media enterprise that covers baseball at every level in the United States) named Elly the best player in the Arizona Complex League, a rookie-level MiLB league.
- In 2022, he represented the Dayton Dragons (the 3rd-tier minor-league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) and the Chattanooga Lookouts (the 2nd-tier minor-league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) and was selected to represent the Cincinnati Reds in the ‘All-Star Futures Game’ (an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball to showcase the best of upcoming talent).
- That season, Elly recorded career-highs in home runs (28), RBIs (86), and stolen bases (47). He became the first minor league player since 2013 to bat at an average (.304, in his case) of more than .300 with at least 25 home runs and 40 stolen bases. For his performances, he was named a ‘MiLB All-Star’ as well as the Cincinnati Reds‘ ‘Minor League Player of the Year’.
- At the beginning of the 2023 season, he was optioned to the Louisville Bats (the top-tier minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds). In 38 games for the team, Elly recorded 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases.
- On June 23, 2023, representing the Cincinnati Reds, in a Major League Baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, he ‘hit for the cycle’ – a rare feat in which a batter hits a single (the act of safely reaching 1st base by hitting a fair ball), a double (the act of safely reaching 2nd base), a triple (the act of safely reaching 3rd base), and a home run in the same game. Elly became the youngest player since 1972 to have achieved this feat. As of July 2023, this was just the 343rd such instance recorded in the history of the MLB.
- On July 8, 2023, he became the first Cincinnati Reds player since 1919 to have stolen 2nd base, 3rd base, and home base (also called home plate) in the same inning.
- On July 16, 2023, Elly broke the Statcast (a high-speed, high-accuracy, automated tool developed to analyze player movements and athletic abilities in Major League Baseball – Statcast was introduced to all Major League Baseball stadiums in 2015) record for the fastest infield assist with a throw that was recorded at 97.9 miles per hour.
Featured Image by Elly De La Cruz / Instagram