Getty Elly De La Cruz enjoyed another huge game at Dodger Stadium for the Reds. Why does he like playing in L.A.? GTA has something to do with it.
Budding Cincinnati Reds superstar Elly De La Cruz loves playing at Dodger Stadium. That was displayed again during a 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 16. The 22-year-old went 4-for-4 with a double, one RBI, three runs scored and four stolen bases. After the game, he was asked for a reason why he plays so well in Los Angeles and his response didn’t disappoint.
De La Cruz said, “Oh, that’s because this is my city. You already know this is my city, though.”
His answer got better when asked to elaborate. “I mean, my first time in the U.S. was here in L.A. and also, I play a lot of GTA [Grand Theft Auto] when I was a little kid and I like the city and I sort of say when I was a little kid, I used to say, I was born in L.A. Yeah, this is my city.”
Watch him answer that postgame question here, via the Reds’ official X account (formerly Twitter).
“I play a lot of GTA”
Elly De La Cruz on why he feels LA is his city 😂
De La Cruz has now played four games at Dodger Stadium since making his MLB debut in 2023. He’s posted a .556/.600/.944 line with four extra-base hits (two doubles, one triple and one home run), two RBI, seven runs scored and four steals.
Elly De La Cruz Is Taking a Huge Step Forward in 2024
The young shortstop has wowed fans since getting promoted to the big leagues last year. After all, his first career MLB home run traveled 458 feet with an exit velocity of 114.8 mph.
ELLY DE LA CRUZ CRUSHED
458 ft
114.8 mph
He finished seventh in the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year Award voting despite playing 98 games. He slashed .235/.300/.410 with 35 extra-base hits (15 doubles, seven triples and 13 homers), 44 RBI, 67 runs scored and 35 steals. That’s impressive production through 427 plate appearances as a 21-year-old. However, he’s taken a step forward through his first 44 games of 2024.
His triple slash has improved to .277/.378/.516 through 180 plate appearances. It’s been accompanied by 18 extra-base hits (eight doubles, one triple and nine homers), 22 RBI and 35 runs scored. He also leads the league in steals by a comfortable margin. His four-steal night at Dodger Stadium gave him 30 on the year. Meanwhile, no other big leaguer has more than 17 steals so far in 2024.
According to Baseball-Reference, his OPS has risen from .710 to .894 (as of May 17). His wRC+ has also improved dramatically from 84 to 150. Meanwhile, his 2.1 fWAR has already surpassed his 2023 total (1.9), per FanGraphs.
Could the Reds’ Young Superstar Take Home an MVP Award?
De La Cruz’s impressive start has him in the conversation for National League MVP. It will be a tough race at the top with guys like Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani also putting up huge numbers. The Reds’ young superstar has done a good job of forcing his way into the race, though.
On May 14, Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly ranked De La Cruz third in his NL MVP Award power rankings.
“If you were wondering before the season whether De La Cruz was a great player or just a great athlete, he’s ended that debate,” he said. “He’s homered nine times, driven in 21 runs and leads MLB with 25 stolen bases.
“De La Cruz has a star-power element that gives him the chance to be one of the next faces of the sport, and perhaps a future NL MVP.”
If he keeps up his current pace, the future may be now for De La Cruz.