Reds Superstar Elly De La Cruz Cracks List of MLB’s Best Young Players

The Cincinnati Reds are watching their pitching staff fall apart before their eyes this spring. Brady Singer and Nick Lodolo have both dealt with blister issues over the last week or two. Hunter Greene is out until July with an elbow injury.

Fortunately for the Reds, they have a loaded lineup to pick up the slack for the time being, led by superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz.

The Athletic's Stephen J. Nesbitt recently listed De La Cruz as one of the best infielders in the league age 25 or younger. De La Cruz was joined by Nick Kurtz, Luke Keaschall, Junior Caminero, and Gunnar Henderson as the starting infielders on Nesbitt's under-25 team.

"With Witt aging out of the list, we’ve returned three All-Under-25 starters — Caminero, Witt and De La Cruz — while shuffling positions: Caminero moves from first to third, Henderson from third to shortstop," Nesbitt wrote. "Henderson and De La Cruz both took steps back last season: Henderson had 20 fewer homers than the year prior, while De La Cruz stole 30 fewer bases.

"Despite the dips, both remain dark-horse MVP candidates heading into 2026. Meanwhile, Caminero is coming off a breakout season in which he smashed 45 homers, starred in the Home Run Derby and finished ninth in AL MVP voting. He is an electric factory."

Elly De La Cruz Poised for a Major Breakout in 2026

Mar 20, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) gets ready before a game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

De La Cruz took a major step back last season, but a lot of his second half struggles were caused by a lower body injury that he played through. De La Cruz didn't sit out and powered through the injury, which is a big reason why his production dipped.

During the first half of the season, De La Cruz slashed .284/.359/.495 with 18 home runs, 18 doubles, and 25 stolen bases in 97 games. He was on pace for 30 home runs, 30 doubles, and 41 stolen bases. Instead, he suffered the injury and finished the season with 22 home runs, 31 doubles, and 37 stolen bases.

Now, De La Cruz is seemingly healthy and at his best this spring. He's slashed .283/.340/.630 with 10 extra base hits in 46 at-bats over 16 spring training games. His OPS is near 1.000 while he's three for three on stolen base attempts.

If he can stay healthy, he could be primed for a 30 home run, 50 stolen base season. The only thing stopping him would be an injury like last year.

Check out the full rankings here.

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