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Cincinnati is not New York, Los Angeles, or Boston.  In today’s baseball, you don’t get many superstars playing in small market towns like Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Tampa and Denver. When you do get a superstar, once their initial contract is up and free agency hits, forget keeping them if they’re in a small market. Teams with the big bucks and big payrolls add big dollars to lure them away.

Elly De La Cruz is undoubtedly the biggest star the Reds have had in a while.  He already has a reputation for exit velocity of balls hit, speed on the base pads, and arm strength. He is amongst the tops in Major League Baseball in all these categories.

Cincinnati has a new manager and a new attitude. Over the last several years the team has not been over the .500 won/lost mark much at all. At present the Reds are just over the .500 won/loss mark with a record of 18-17. It’s a welcome change. 

De La Cruz is obviously a big part of the resurgence. At present the Dominican born De La Cruz is on pace to have his best season yet. He has 5 home runs  with 25 rbi’s and is hitting .269. The Reds shortstop was the talk of the Reds AA Dayton Dragons and AAA Louisville Bats when he was in the minors. When he finally got the call-up to join the major league Reds on June, 6, 2023, it may have been one of the biggest debuts in Reds history. While 22,602 fans showed up for the debut, it was an average 6,000 more fans over an average Tuesday.

Just last month, the Reds had De La Cruz Bobblehead Day on a Saturday. The attendance was an amazing 31,188 as long lines formed for their souvenir of the Reds star.

De La Cruz looks to have a long career that could be filled with many All-Star games, flashy moments, and hopefully leading the team to the playoffs and World Series. Whether he stays in Cincinnati the length of his career remains to be seen. He will be eligible for arbitration in the 2027 season and able to become a free agent in 2029. So Reds fans should enjoy EDLC while they can for at least the next four seasons. Once free agency hits and teams like the Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees come calling with big $, Ellymania may be taken to another town.