Elly De La Cruz has led the league in errors the previous two seasons, however the Reds intend to maintain him at shortstop, not less than in the intervening time. President of baseball operations Nick Krall spoke to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com for a chunk about Cincinnati’s prime prospects. With shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo knocking on the door of the majors, Krall was requested if there have been plans to maneuver De La Cruz off the place. “As of proper now, no,” Krall instructed Sheldon.
After posting 29 errors in 2024, De La Cruz racked up one other 26 this previous season. He’s been not less than three errors away from the next-closest defender in every of the previous two seasons. Sturdiness is considerably at play right here. De La Cruz has been remarkably wholesome in his first two full seasons within the large leagues, showing in not less than 160 video games each instances. Extra video games equal extra fielding alternatives, although De La Cruz has additionally struggled on a per-chance foundation. He completed with the third-worst fielding proportion amongst certified gamers in 2025.
De La Cruz has tantalizing instruments on the place. He averaged 92.2 mph on throws in 2025, which ranked within the 93rd percentile. De La Cruz posted standout marks by way of vary final season, with StatCast having him at 14 Outs Above Common. That mark plummeted to -3 this previous 12 months, although.
Heart area has been rumored as a future vacation spot for De La Cruz. It’s a path many struggling infielders have taken through the years, with Oneil Cruz serving as the latest notable instance. Cruz completed second in errors final season with 26. Whereas a few these miscues got here within the outfield, 24 of them had been at shortstop. Pittsburgh moved Cruz to the outfield full-time in 2025, opting to go along with the sure-handed Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop.
Whereas Arroyo won’t be an instantaneous MLB choice, Cincinnati has alternate options already on the big-league roster. Matt McLain made 52 begins on the place when he first debuted in 2023. The identical goes for Noelvi Marte, who performed a handful of video games at shortstop when he first joined the Reds. Santiago Espinal has loads of expertise up the center, however he’s seemingly ticketed for a utility function. Cincinnati now has Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base to buttress the left aspect of the infield, which ought to permit some flexibility with the shortstop choice.
Regardless of the place he performs, De La Cruz’s bat can be within the lineup. He’s been the engine of the offense the previous two seasons, topping 20 homers and scoring 100+ runs in back-to-back years. De La Cruz has not less than 35 stolen bases in all three of his MLB seasons, together with a league-leading 67 swipes in 2024. De La Cruz has trimmed his strikeout price in every year of his profession. He hit a career-best .264 this previous season.
Regardless of De La Cruz’s struggles, Cincinnati solely had the Eleventh-most errors final season. They ranked twenty first in fielding proportion. A full season of Hayes ought to increase these marks.
