Elly De La Cruz Expected To Be Regular Shortstop
10 months agoCincinnati 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.
Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith