July 17, 2023

Elly De La Cruz breaks Statcast record for hardest infield assist [Video]

Inside the Article:

If you have not yet heard of Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!? De La Cruz was called up to the Reds just over a month ago, and he has already established himself as the most exciting player in Major League Baseball. On Sunday, De La Cruz broke the Statcast Era record for the hardest recorded infield assist.

Elly De La Cruz

Elly De La Cruz breaks Statcast record

Take a look as De La Cruz takes a ground ball and proceeds to throw a 97.9 mph seed to first base to get the runner out.

Elly De La Cruz just broke the Statcast Era record for the hardest recorded infield assist EVER, per @SlangsOnSports

That's a 97.9 mph throw 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BKe88CKJFx
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 16, 2023

Does a De La Cruz throw feel different?

When asked if a throw from De La Cruz feels different than one from the other infielders, Red 1B Spencer Steer had the following to say:

“I don’t really notice it too much,” Steer said. “I’m just focused on getting to the bag and catching the ball. His balls got some really good carry on it. Some guys, that throw might die on them a little bit.”

Fastest recorded infield assists

Here are the fastet-recorded infield assists of the Statcast era:

Sunday, Elly De La Cruz: 97.9 mph
July 14, 2022, Oneil Cruz: 97.8 mph
Sept. 20, 2020, Fernando Tatis Jr.: 97.3 mph
Sept. 18, 2021, Fernando Tatis Jr.: 96.8 mph
June 20, 2022, Oneil Cruz: 96.7 mph

How good is De La Cruz?

It is obviously way too early to start referring to De La Cruz as a Hall of Fame caliber player (even typing that is absurd), but he sure is off to a solid start for a 21-year-old rookie. Here are his stats through his first 33 games at the MLB level.

33 games
.297 batting average
.812 OPS

4 home runs
18 RBIs
9 doubles

2 triples
0.7 WAR
113 OPS+

De La Cruz Highlights

In case you are not yet familiar with the work of Elly De La Cruz, here are his highlights through the All-Star break. Enjoy!

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W.G. Brady is a Detroit-based journalist who has been covering the Detroit sports scene for Detroit Sports Nation for several years. He is in his early 30s and has a wealth of experience in the industry. Throughout his career, W.G. has established himself as a respected and knowledgeable journalist known for his in-depth coverage of the teams and athletes in Detroit. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for sports, W.G. has become a go-to source for fans and readers looking for the latest news and analysis on the Detroit sports scene. He has a good reputation in the sports community and is respected for his unbiased coverage of sports events. W.G. is known for his ability to uncover hidden stories and provide unique perspectives on the teams and athletes he covers. He has a good understanding of the city of Detroit and its sports culture, which he uses to inform his reporting and analysis. He continues to be a respected journalist in the Detroit sports industry.