Elly De La Cruz is picking up right where he left off.
The Cincinnati Reds phenom got his spring training off to the best start possible Saturday, as he crushed a high-flying solo home run in the first inning of an exhibition matchup against the Cleveland Guardians.
Elly's first AB of Spring? Gone ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/dNULIpxZRR
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) February 22, 2025
Three innings later, he did it again. In his second at-bat of the day—this time as a right-handed hitter—De La Cruz mashed a 91.8-mph fastball from Logan Allen deep over the wall in right-center field.
Elly De La Cruz has homered from both sides of the plate today! #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/JY6XQM9RMJ
— MLB (@MLB) February 22, 2025
Two at-bats, two home runs. That is one sweet, sweet swing.
De La Cruz is hoping to build off a promising All-Star campaign in 2024. In 160 games last season, the shortstop led the big leagues in strikeouts (218) but also batted .259/.339/.471 with 25 homers and 67 stolen bases. He became the first player in MLB history to notch at least 100 stolen bases and 30 homers over his first two seasons.
De La Cruz is set to start at shortstop once again for the Reds, who are looking to improve upon a disappointing 77–85 campaign in 2024 and make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Elly De La Cruz's Spring Training Is Off to Electric Start With Two Homers in Two At-Bats.
