Baseball’s new star Elly De La Cruz shows ridiculous speed to hit a ground ball to FIRST base – after claiming he’s the ‘fastest man in the world’
- Cincinnati Reds top prospect Elly De La Cruz showed his speed on Sunday
- He dove headfirst into the pocket on a ground ball that was fielded on a sliding stop
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Cincinnati Reds top prospect Elly De La Cruz again showed his full speed in the team’s 9-7 victory over the Houston Astros.
With one out and a man on second base during the top of the sixth inning, De La Cruz reached first base incredibly safely when he dove headfirst into the pocket on a ground ball that was fielded on a sliding stop by Astros first baseman Jose Abreu.
“He’s just a great base runner,” said Reds manager David Bell. “He’s got some incredible instincts… (and) he’s got the speed to handle it.”
Most recently, De La Cruz claimed “I’m the fastest man in the world,” joking with the Reds broadcasters during a post-game interview.
And on Sunday he certainly showed his impressive pace.
Reds prospect Elly De La Cruz again put his wheels on full speed during Sunday’s game
De La Cruz reached first base safely on a ground ball fielded at first base by Jose Abreu (L)
The win also marked the Reds’ eighth straight win, which is also the longest active streak in the majors and the team’s longest since winning 10 straight in July 2012.
“The magic you see is just a created culture. … You guys just see what’s been worked on specifically and we’ve been trying to cultivate since spring training started and frankly since late last year,” left fielder Jake Fraley said.
Since his major league debut on June 6, the MLB No. 4 has stunned fans with his explosive speed, as well as the power he displayed as he slammed a 145-yard ball against the Dodgers.
The Reds would win the game 9-7 against Houston and take their winning streak to eight
He also has an impressive list of team stats within the six games, according to Baseball America’s JJ Cooper, including: the two hardest balls hit by a Reds player this year, six fastest sprint speeds recorded by a Reds player this year, and the hardest pitch from a Reds infielder this year.
Together with Fraley, De La Cruz also drove in a run in the third inning.
“Today’s game was impressive,” Bell added.
“It was a great road trip, but today wasn’t a perfect game. We overcame mistakes with a lot of good play. That’s what it’s all about.’