Elly De La Cruz Earns Top Five Spot as Mark DeRosa Ranks MLB Stars a Little Differently

De La Cruz hit a ball out of Great American Ball Park on Monday night.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) hits a solo home run in the ninth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. The Dodgers won, 4-1. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Elly De La Cruz is on an absolute tear at the plate. Since August 22, the superstar is slashing .419/.468/.767 with a wRC+ of 234. He has 16 extra-base hits, including seven home runs during that time frame.

On Monday morning, MLB Network's Mark DeRosa ranked De La Cruz fifth in his must-watch position players in Major League Baseball.

"Starting at No. 5, he's in Cincinnati," DeRosa said on MLB Network. "He is red hot. Getting the chance to just watch Elly De La Cruz hit ground balls gets me rolling. Mix in the fact that he's hitting .284 with 27 homers, 72 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, and looks like an absolute freak in the box. Sign me up for every Elly De La Cruz at-bat."

DeRosa is spot on. There is no doubt De La Cruz is one of the most exciting players to watch in the sport.

Sep 14, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

De La Cruz gave fans another reason to watch Monday night when he launched a home run out of Great American Ball Park in the ninth inning against the Dodgers.

According to Matt Wilkes, it was the longest homer by a Reds hitter since Rece Hinds on July 9, 2024. De La Cruz now owns four of Cincinnati’s five longest home runs since 2023, including the longest at 467 feet. His speed gets plenty of attention, but his power can be just as ridiculous.

Reds Officially Eliminated From Postseason Contention

Sep 14, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Tony Santillan (64) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Monday's loss to the Dodgers at Great American Ball Park, the Reds fell to 70-80 and were officially eliminated from making the postseason.

Cincinnati has struggled down the stretch, going just 3-7 in their last 10 games.

They're in last place in the National League Central Division.

With the Reds eliminated from postseason contention, another year will pass without a playoff win. They haven’t won a postseason game since 2012 or advanced in the playoffs since 1995.

That’s a brutal stretch that doesn’t get talked about enough in the national media. Reds fans deserve better.

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