Alejandro Avila
Videos by OutKick
Don’t blink when watching Cincinnati Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz at work.
The first-year sensation in the big leagues continues to dish out highlight-worthy plays and exhibit reality-defying speed. What appeared like a routine groundout for De La Cruz on Sunday, facing off against the Astros, became another show-stopping moment for the rook.
Elly De La Cruz is WICKED Fast!
In the sixth inning, the 6-foot-5 De La Cruz showed off his speed when he beat out Astros’ Jose Abreu in a race to first.
De La Cruz hit a fair ball in the direction of Altuve, putting the first baseman just feet away from tagging the Reds player out. Instead of taking the seemingly guaranteed out, De La Cruz bolted for the bag and managed to make up a wild distance differential by arriving first.
No one has speed like De La Cruz in baseball.
WATCH:
Since his debut, De La Cruz has played like an otherworldly specimen. De La Cruz can hit balls that look like doubles and still manage to land on third base.
If MLB had its own lab-grown player, fit to be the best physical specimen, De La Cruz would be it.
When he’s not showing off Olympian speed, De La Cruz is knocking homers 460 feet into the stands.
De La Cruz’s speed and extra-inning heroics helped propel the Reds over the Astros, 9-7. Cincinnati now sits just half of a game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central lead.
Catch him if you can!
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