Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz ran circles around the Los Angeles Angels on Friday in the Reds' 7-1 victory. De La Cruz went 2-4 with a three-run homer and a single. He also recorded three RBI, two runs and three stolen bases. It was his first game with multiple stolen bases this season and the second time in his career he has recorded three stolen bases in a game. The 22-year-old also raised his OPS to 1.002 on the season, a significant bump over his .710 mark last season. De La Cruz now has hit a HR in back-to-back games and will look to continue his hot streak on Saturday against Angels lefty Patrick Sandoval.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz crushed a 450-foot home run during the fifth inning of Monday's 10-8 win over the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. He didn't stop there, though, tacking on another run on an exhilarating inside-the-park homer in the seventh frame after center fielder Sal Frelick failed to make a diving grab. Some fantasy managers have been groaning about De La Cruz's placement in Cincy's batting order, as he's hit sixth in all 10 outings, but they can't complain about the results. The 22-year-old 2023 top prospect was great in the spring, and he's now batting .297 (11-for-37) with the aforementioned two big flies, five RBI, six stolen bases, and 11 runs scored following his first three-hit attack of the year. One of the game's most thrilling players, De La Cruz looks to build on this effort in a favorable matchup with Brewers right-hander Joe Ross on Tuesday.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz will hit sixth on Thursday on Opening Day versus the Washington Nationals and right-hander Josiah Gray. Cruz had been hitting mostly second for the Reds in spring training action, but outfielder Will Benson will be slotted there for the first regular season game in 2024. It's not exactly what De La Cruz's fantasy managers were hoping for, but it's also just Game 1 of 162 this year. For DFS purposes on Thursday, it makes the intriguing 22-year-old shortstop less attractive towards the bottom of the lineup. De La Cruz's tantalizing power/speed combination makes him one of the top young position-player prospects in baseball, at a premium position no less. With a hot streak at the plate, he could easily supplant Benson in the two-hole for the Reds sooner than later.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz went 1-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored in Thursday's 7-6 Cactus League loss to the Mariners. The 22-year-old began the spring season with 11 hits in his first 11 games, but the bat has gone cold as of late with Thursday's triple being his only hit in his last 15 at-bats. The switch hitter has a spring line like you might expect, hitting .273 (12-for-44) with three doubles, two triples, one home run, four RBI, 12 runs scored, and five stolen bases to go along with seven walks and an outrageous, albeit not unexpected, 19 strikeouts (37.3%). Although he was working in the offseason to shorten his swing in order to reduce his K%, it doesn't appear to be translating into success yet with eight multi-strikeout showings in 15 total games. Despite this, his tantalizing speed and power will make him a coveted fantasy asset, but managers need to be prepared for bouts of extreme ineffectiveness mixed in with some supercharged performances.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz is expected to be the team's regular shortstop in 2024. "Going into it, Elly will play a lot of short, and Matt will play a lot of second," manager David Bell said. "Everything else, we've got to let it play out." De La Cruz played both third base and shortstop in his rookie season in 2023, but he's expected to focus on the 6 in spring training. Matt McLain, who started 53 games at shortstop and 37 games at second base last year, will train at both positions in camp. The 22-year-old has some of the best range, lateral quickness and arm strength in baseball, and the 6-foot-6 infielder has worked this offseason to shorten his leg kick on both sides of the plate in an effort to cut down his swings and misses in 2024. If he can put it all together offensively in his first full season in the big leagues, De La Cruz has the potential to be a special player at a premium position.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman/shortstop Elly De La Cruz had a huge game at the plate in Tuesday's 11-7 win over the Guardians. The 21-year-old rookie went 3-for-3 with a single, a solo home run, a two-run HR, four RBI, and a strikeout. De La Cruz had a ton of fantasy hype surrounding him when he joined the Reds, and while he has shown flashes of brilliance with 13 HR, 40 RBI, and 33 stolen bases in 409 plate appearances, his .234/.299/.409 slash line leaves a lot to be desired. Either way, he is an electric player to watch and has shown the raw tools to be a potential fantasy stud in the future.

Cincinnati Reds rookie infielder Elly De La Cruz is starting at shortstop and is hitting eighth in the batting order on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers and right-hander Reese Olson. De La Cruz has burst onto the major-league scene this year and helped the Reds surprisingly compete for a wild-card spot, but he's gone just 7-for-42 (.167) with no homers, one double, two RBI, 15 strikeouts, four stolen bases and five runs scored in 12 games (11 starts) so far in September. The eight-hole is the lowest spot in the batting order he's been featured since joining the Reds. The power/speed combination is extremely enticing and the long-term future is bright for De La Cruz, but he's struggling right now. Overall, he's hitting .235/.298/.408 with 11 homers, 36 RBI, 27 steals and 59 runs scored in 341 at-bats.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz had a poor game on Sunday against the Cubs, going 0-for-5 and striking out four times. He was the only player in the starting lineup for Cincinnati who did not record a hit. In his first season in the big leagues, De La Cruz has struck out 122 times, but the infielder is a talented player with great potential. He has stolen 24 bases while slashing .241/.294./.429. The 21-year-old rookie has also hit 11 home runs and driven in 35 runs.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz went 2-for-5 with a home run, a triple, six RBI, and two runs scored in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels during Game 1 of a doubleheader. One day after the rookie phenom notched his 20th stolen base of the year, De La Cruz went ballistic for a career-high six RBI in this one. The 21-year-old walloped a fifth-inning three-run bomb before lacing a bases-clearing triple to bring in three more runs and help drop the Halos in the matinee of a twin bill. It was De La Cruz's third game with a homer and a triple this season. The speedy slugger is hitting .257 with a .778 OPS, 11 blasts, six triples, 33 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 48 runs scored in 265 at-bats on the campaign.

Cincinnati Reds rookie infielder Elly De La Cruz is not in the starting lineup on Wednesday with the team facing the Chicago Cubs. With De La Cruz starting on the bench, Nick Senzel will move to the hot corner and will hit second in the batting order against Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly. It appears to be a normal day of rest for De La Cruz, who has taken the league by storm in just a short amount of time after debuting in the big leagues in early June. The 21-year-old needs to be rostered in all fantasy leagues because of his ability to contribute across all categories. He's hitting .269/.316/.457 with seven home runs, 10 doubles, three triples, 20 RBI, 17 stolen bases and 38 runs scored in just 212 plate appearances in his first 48 major-league contests. De La Cruz is one of the most exciting young players in the game right now.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman/shortstop Elly De La Cruz flexed his muscle in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Brewers, going 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a strikeout. The 21-year-old phenom blasted a third-inning Colin Rea offering well over the right-center fence for his sixth long ball of the season. He has shown why he was such an anticipated fantasy prospect, slashing .273/.320/.461 with 19 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 178 plate appearances. His 31.5% strikeout rate will need improvement, but his immense power/speed upside makes him a must-start in all fantasy leagues at this time.

Cincinnati Reds rookie infielder Elly De La Cruz is not in the starting lineup on Saturday against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. With De La Cruz getting a breather, Spencer Steer will handle third-base duties and bat leadoff for the Reds. De La Cruz has burst onto the scene in his first MLB season with dazzling athletic abilities, but he's hit a rough patch at the plate of late. The 21-year-old Dominican switch-hitter has just two hits and 15 strikeouts in his last 35 plate appearances over eight games to drop his season line to .274/.324/.433 with four homers, 16 RBI and 17 stolen bases in his first 38 major-league games. Hopefully a day off for De La Cruz will get him going again offensively.

Cincinnati Reds rookie infielder Elly De La Cruz is making the start at third base and is batting leadoff for the Reds on Monday against the San Francisco Giants in the series opener. The exciting 21-year-old Dominican is making everything look really easy so far in his first 33 games in the big leagues, and he's currently hitting .297 (41-for-138) with four home runs, nine doubles, two triples, 16 RBI, 16 stolen bases and 28 runs scored in only 147 plate appearances. Already with tons of upside across the board for fantasy managers, De La Cruz will be even more attractive in DFS in the leadoff spot against Giants right-hander Logan Webb. He needs to be in all starting fantasy lineups in redraft leagues day in and day out.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz went 2-for-5 with an RBI, three stolen bases, and two runs scored in Saturday's 8-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. The 21-year-old left an indelible mark late in this one. After a go-ahead RBI single during the seventh inning, Cruz would exhilaratingly steal second base, then third, and finally home plate to nab another run. The No. 1 Reds prospect became the youngest player in at least the past 60 years to steal three bags over a single frame. It was one of the most memorable sequences we'll see this season. Cruz didn't just run wild on Saturday; he now has a ridiculous seven thefts across his last five games. The rookie phenom is hitting .328 with an .899 OPS, four home runs, 16 RBI, and 16 pilfers through 122 at-bats this season.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz went 2-for-5 with a double, a run, and an RBI in a 7-5 win over the San Diego Padres in 11 innings on Friday. De La Cruz ripped a clutch double to tie the game up at 5-5 in the bottom of the 11th inning, paving the way for a Spencer Steer walk-off two-run homer. The Reds recalled De La Cruz from Triple-A on June 6 and the rookie phenom has made quite the impression over the first month of his MLB career, hitting .307 with three homers, 21 runs, 12 RBI, and nine steals over 88 at-bats. De La Cruz brings a blend of power and speed to fantasy lineups and needs to be locked into a starting spot moving forward.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman/shortstop Elly De La Cruz went nuclear in Friday's 11-10 barn-burning triumph versus the Atlanta Braves. The 21-year-old ended 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base, hitting for the cycle after tripling in the sixth inning. Cruz lifted Cincinnati to their 12th straight win in an amazing way, becoming the youngest player to cycle since 1972 and the first Red to do so since 1989. Cincy's top prospect is hitting .361 with a 1.074 OPS, three long balls, 10 RBI, and seven stolen bases across 61 at-bats following this thrilling performance. Cruz may not keep this up, but fantasy managers must love the early returns on their premium stash.

Cincinnati Reds rookie infielder Elly De La Cruz is not in the team's starting lineup on Friday against the Houston Astros. It's the first game that he's been on the bench since being called up to the big leagues. De La Cruz was called up to much fanfare because of the way he was dominating in the minors, and in his first nine games in the majors, he's gone 8-for-34 (.235) with a double, triple, home run, four RBI, five stolen bases and 15 strikeouts in 40 plate appearances. The 21-year-old Dominican switch-hitter is physically imposing and can do it all on a baseball field, but he's gone hitless in his last three games with five strikeouts, so he'll get a breather heading into the weekend. Nick Senzel is making the start at third base and is batting seventh on Friday against Astros right-hander J.P. France.

Cincinnati Reds infield prospect Elly De La Cruz is starting at third base and is hitting cleanup on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Miles Mikolas. De La Cruz, one of the most impressive young players in the game, has played both third base and shortstop so far in his first week in the big leagues and he should continue to hit in the heart of the Reds' batting order. The 21-year-old Dominican, who is ranked as the fourth overall prospect in the league by MLB Pipeline, has lived up to his lofty expectations so far through four games. In 17 trips to the plate, De La Cruz has gone 5-for-15 (.333) with a double, triple, home run, two RBI, a stolen base and four runs scored. He needs to be rostered in all fantasy leagues and in all starting lineups in single-year formats.

Cincinnati Reds infield prospect Elly De La Cruz is getting the start at shortstop and is batting cleanup against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Noah Syndergaard in his second major-league start on Wednesday. De La Cruz hit cleanup and played third base in his big-league debut on Tuesday and finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and two walks. Kevin Newman will slide over to third base and will hit eighth, while Matt McLain will serve as the designated hitter while batting second. The 21-year-old De La Cruz is the No. 4 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, and he should be rostered in all fantasy formats for his immense upside at a premium position. There's nothing he can't do on a baseball field and he'll be playing every day in Cincy.

Cincinnati Reds infield prospect Elly De La Cruz is starting at third base and is hitting cleanup in his major-league debut on Tuesday against right-hander Tony Gonsolin and the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. The No. 4 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, needs to be added immediately in all fantasy leagues if he's still available on your league's waiver wire. The 21-year-old infielder comes to the big leagues with high expectations after posting a 1.031 OPS, 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 38 games for Triple-A Louisville, and he's expected to play every day for the Reds moving forward. De La Cruz is a switch-hitter that should immediately become one of the most dynamic young players in the big leagues. He has five-tool potential and immense fantasy upside.