Some players have the speed. Some have the swagger. And then there is Elly De La Cruz— who seems to have them both! The 23-year-old Cincinnati Reds shortstop has always been electric, but after his latest performance, he is making some serious noise.

The Reds have been sluggish. But the person who helped flip that script was De La Cruz. He went full-on with two home runs, seven RBIs, and one stolen base. Quite debatable, but one thing that might have helped him get there was the torpedo bat. Which he did use. But as Max Muncy said, in the end, it’s always the player who makes the most noise. 

In fact, De La Cruz made such a loud noise that he got a bold reaction from former MLB catcher and analyst Eric Kratz. He didn’t mince words and said, “Elly is in the Tatis range now.” He was comparing the Cinncinati Reds star to the $340 million cornerstone of San Diego—Fernando Tatis Jr. It’s a huge comparison, but not outlandish. He is worth that number!

Elly’s teammates too feel his momentum and rhythm. His fellow star Matt McLain thinks that Elly De La Cruz and the team’s success are tied together. “He’s the big engine that drives us,” McLain said. “When Elly gets going, we all do.” And he isn’t alone; even manager of the team Terry Francona, who is never one to entertain the theatrics, praised Elly. He said, “He’s on balance, controlling the ball the other way—you better make some pretty good pitches when he’s on balance.”

But that game wasn’t the sole reason Elly De La Cruz has come to the spotlight. He literally sprinted 118 feet to make a diving backhanded catch. Fans were in disbelief at what they just saw! Hall of Famer Barry Larkin too said, “Ridiculousness: 11. It is absolutely amazing what he is capable of doing.” For now though, De La Cruz needs to keep the focus on winning and mostly keeping up the momentum—and he is.

If De La Cruz keeps putting up nights as such, Cincinnati will be giving him a huge payday. But one thing is for sure—the team needs to be quick with an extension. Because in cases like this, waiting even a year to lock down an extension can weigh heavy on a team. Learn from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays. Plus, De La Cruz is a Scott Boras client!

But this isn’t the only thing on the Reds’ plate right now. They even have Matt McLain to worry about.

Matt McLain’s answer has Cincinnati Reds holding their breath

Matt McLain is one player that the office might be losing sleep over. But they don’t need to, at least not now. Because his situation is different. It is true that the team did get in touch with McLain over the winter with a framework of the deal. But the numbers didn’t add up. McLain said, Over the last two-plus seasons, he has just played 97 games. He missed the entire 2024 season! It didn’t make sense at that time. The same thing he said before. But looking at the entire picture now, it does makes sense.

So although as stellar a player McLain is, injuries have marred him from taking the spotlight. Over the last two-plus seasons, he has just played 97 games. He missed the entire 2024 season! On Friday night too, McLain was not there in the lineup due to hamstring tightness.  So when he says that this is not the right time to discuss his extension, it is understandable. He wouldn’t ever get the contract he wants when he hasn’t even stepped foot on the mound to show what he is made of. He knows the ceiling!

Moreover, for the Reds, signing a player who is injury-prone for the long term is risky. Look at Mike Trout! Sure, it might be the chance to lock in an all-star on a team-friendly deal. But what’s his value when he can’t even play? Plus, here is the key—McLain is under team control through 2029—so the Reds have ample amounts of time.

The Cincinnati Reds, meanwhile, have other pressing issues to turn their attention to. Like with Tyler Stephenson and Nick Lodolo approaching their critical contract timelines. What do you think? Let us know.