Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz is certainly one of the most electrifying players in all of MLB. But one question remains in his case: will he be able to keep up the pace at the position that demands the most on a baseball field, shortstop?
This is why Manfred circuit analyst Jake Storiale believes De La Cruz should be moved to the outfield, just as was the case for Fernando Tatis Jr. with the San Diego Padres two years ago.
In theory, it would make more sense to keep him at shortstop, but you could have said that with Fernando, and now he’s become an elite player. I think it’s a consensus among Reds fans that maybe he would be better suited to the outfield.
It’s unclear whether De La Cruz would adapt as well as Tatis Jr. if he became an outfielder, since the latter won the Platinum Glove last year.
But the idea is not crazy, especially since De La Cruz is not closed to a change of position. Indeed, in December 2023, the Reds were full of promising young infield players, and the main player had affirmed that he was going to play where the team was going to need him.
A move to the outfield could relieve De La Cruz of a lot of the defensive responsibilities associated with the shortstop position and could give him more confidence when it comes time to step up to the plate. Because the number six position player is the captain of the infield and must be involved with every pitch, while in the outfield it’s much more about reaction and athleticism.
There is, however, a small downside according to Stotoriale.
The other thing is, will his at-bats start to come to mind more often if he’s going through a bad streak? Because sometimes you’re in the outfield and you’re like, ‘Okay, what’s going on here?’
With Terry Francona at the helm of the team, we can bet that the right decision will be made for De La Cruz’s future.
