Elly De La Cruz keeps stacking reasons to be must-see television, and Mark DeRosa just put that on the record.
On Monday morning, the MLB Network analyst slotted the Reds star at No. 5 on his list of must-watch position players in Major League Baseball. DeRosa didn’t exactly hide the enthusiasm.
"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."
That ranking comes with good reason. Since August 22, De La Cruz has been on a blistering run at the plate, hitting .419/.468/.767 with a wRC+ of 234. He’s piled up 16 extra-base hits in that stretch, including seven home runs.
And he added another loud moment Monday night, launching a ninth-inning homer out of Great American Ball Park 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 most of the headlines, but the power is every bit as jaw-dropping.
The Reds still took a loss to Los Angeles at Great American Ball Park, and with it came the official end of their postseason hopes. Cincinnati dropped to 70-80 and was eliminated from making the playoffs.
It’s been a rough finish for the club, which is just 3-7 over its last 10 games and sitting in last place in the National League Central Division.
The bigger picture is even harsher. With this elimination, another season will go by without a playoff win for Cincinnati. The Reds haven’t won a postseason game since 2012 and haven’t advanced in the playoffs since 1995.
In Other News...
Terry Francona Just Raised The Stakes For The Reds Front Office
With one year left on his contract, Terry Francona is already sounding like a manager who expects to be part of the Reds next step, not just this seasons cleanup. He has said he wants to help Cincinnati recover from a disappointing year, and he has publicly backed the front offices ability to improve the roster after a season that has left the club stuck at the bottom of the National League Central.
Nick Kralls view of the organizations future only adds to the significance of Franconas stance, since the expectation is that the front office and coaching staff will stay largely intact for 2027. For a team that has struggled to generate offense and came out of the trade deadline with limited changes, the message is clear: the current group is being asked to prove it can turn things around, and Franconas confidence only raises the pressure to get it right. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Prospect Is Forcing His Way Into The Conversation
Ruben Ibarras recent surge has given the Reds another interesting name to track at a time when the organization is trying to keep building momentum. The prospect was named Southern League Player of the Week after a strong offensive stretch, adding another productive note to a system that has been trying to produce more impact bats for the big league club. With Cincinnati set to open a four-game series against the Dodgers and Nick Lodolo on the mound, there is still plenty of attention on the current roster, but performances like Ibarras tend to travel quickly through an organization.
Terry Francona also made it clear he sees the front office as part of the larger push to keep improving, which only adds to the sense that the Reds are still sorting out where their next wave of help will come from. For now, Ibarra is doing the kind of work that gets noticed, especially when a club is looking for answers beyond the obvious names. The immediate focus remains on Los Angeles, but the longer view in Cincinnati keeps circling back to which prospects can turn a hot week into a real conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Face A Tough Edwin Arroyo Decision This Offseason
The Reds added Juan Brito off waivers from Cleveland in August, and his brief time on the active roster has already given the front office something to think about. In eight games, Brito has provided strong offense, which matters for a club always trying to find useful depth without giving away too much on the margins. It also adds another layer to a roster picture that will matter more once the offseason questions start piling up.
Edwin Arroyo, once viewed as one of the organizations brighter young talents, has not yet turned his Major League chances into much momentum. That has led to speculation that Cincinnati could at least listen on him if it believes a deal can help shore up pitching, though nothing has been decided. For a team trying to balance upside, roster fit and immediate needs, Arroyo is the kind of name that could end up at the center of some difficult winter conversations. [Read more 🡒]