The shortstop has gone on to prove his manager right, playing some of the best baseball of his career recently. He recently homered in four consecutive games, he’s getting more aggressive on the bases and opposing teams are crafting entire game plans around limiting his impact.
“I try to keep it in the context of what helps us win,” Francona said. “It’s almost easier as opposed to trying to reach, reach, reach, just play the game and help us win. When you have those types of tools, they’ll show.”
De La Cruz has been much better against changeups recently, and that adjustment has helped him level up. In Sunday’s win over the Detroit Tigers, De La Cruz recorded an RBI hit against a reliever with one of the best changeups in baseball. Also, as he hits changeups better, he’s also getting more fastballs to crush.
“That’s a big testament to him as a hitter, identifying what his weakness is and maybe what he has been struggling with,” center fielder TJ Friedl said. “Then working on how to get better out that. How to hit that. Now you put the pitcher in a predicament. Now it’s a cat and mouse game. It’s never ending. That’s how it is. You work on your weaknesses, you get better at that and they come at you with something else.”
The most impressive of his numbers is that De La Cruz has played every day. He has grinded through minor leg issues and still played a strong shortstop every day.
In an era where players get more scheduled days off, De La Cruz is old school.
“This game takes a toll on you, especially playing shortstop,” teammate Connor Joe said. “People don’t realize how demanding that position is. He’s not only hitting the homers. He’s running the bases extremely hard. He’s playing defense extremely hard. All of those reps take a toll. To do what he’s doing is really impressive. I admire it. When someone is willing to strap it on and play every day and post and want to win for the team, it says a lot about the person has his character. I admire what he’s doing. His willingness to play. His desire to play. And his impacting games.”
His combination of power, speed and highlight potential continues to get everyone’s attention. It’s no coincidence that as De La Cruz has been playing his best, so have the Reds. His presence in the lineup creates a constant anxiety in opponents and helps lift up the guys around him.
When asked to describe the impact De La Cruz is making, Matt McLain was at a loss for words.
“That’s who he is,” McLain said. “That’s it. It’s who he is.”
Many of De La Cruz’s numbers are even better than they were last season. He has solidified himself as a likely All-Star even though the competition at shortstop is very strong.
His popularity has also been on display. On a recent De La Cruz bobblehead night, fans were lined up hours before the game.
Francona is also showcasing his relationship with De La Cruz. Now, Francona does the same dance as De La Cruz when he homers. Recently, to give De La Cruz a bit of a breather, Francona used him as the DH for a game.
“I told him he’d make a good DH,” Francona said. “I think he heard some Spanish curse words.”
About the Author