Elly De La Cruz, known as the “fastest man in baseball,” showcased his elite speed in a recent game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays. In the fourth inning, facing Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt, De La Cruz hit a 1-2 changeup to right field, narrowly missing a home run. The ball took an awkward bounce off the wall, allowing De La Cruz to sprint from home to home.
As De La Cruz rounded the bases, he noticed an error by right fielder Cavan Biggio, who threw the ball past the cutoff man and the backup. Taking advantage of the opportunity, De La Cruz ran home, beating out a flip to catcher Alejandro Kirk. The play was scored as a triple, and De La Cruz recorded the run on Biggio’s error.
De La Cruz’s impressive sprint from home to home was clocked at 15.30 seconds, making it the fastest home-to-home time by a Red in the Statcast era (since 2015). It is also the third-fastest home-to-home time in the MLB this season. This feat surpasses the previous record of 15.6 seconds set by Billy Hamilton on May 19, 2017.
Teammates and coaches praised De La Cruz’s incredible speed and his ability to bring excitement to the game. Reds left fielder Stuart Fairchild said, “He brings an element to the game every single day that indicates you might see something that you’ve never seen before.” Fairchild also had a similar play earlier in the month, but De La Cruz beat his time by nearly three seconds.
De La Cruz’s blazing speed has earned him the reputation of being the “fastest man in baseball.” He currently holds the highest sprint speed of the year at 30.5 ft/s. Even his teammate Matt McLain, who is known for his own elite speed, was surprised to learn that De La Cruz was right behind him during the play. McLain jokingly said, “I slid home thinking that I was the play at the plate. I didn’t know Elly was behind me. And I kept telling him like, ‘Dude, if you catch me, we’re fighting.'”
In addition to his speed, De La Cruz has been a force at the plate. Although his recent performance had been quieter, he recorded his first multi-walk game since June 11, showing signs of being in a good position to hit. Reds manager David Bell expressed confidence in De La Cruz’s aggressive approach and ability to take walks, saying, “Very aggressive, and I think taking the walks can be a sign of good things to come, especially for Elly.”
Overall, Elly De La Cruz’s speed and athleticism continue to impress both teammates and opponents. As the Reds’ “fastest man in baseball,” he never fails to give fans something to cheer for with his electrifying plays on the field.