Cincinnati Reds Elly De La Cruz’s consistency on the field finally paid off! For the first time, he is selected for the 2024 All-Star Game at Arlington’s Globe Life Field. For the Cincinnati Reds, he has brought explosiveness and dynamic gameplay every time he plays. Additionally, with his speed and power skills, he has become one of the top players in MLB. Even in his Minor League, his performance was top-notch. The lad won the Minor League Player of the Year award and became a top prospect in the Midwest League. 

However, aside from his excitement about being at the mega event, he is eager to meet Shohei Ohtani. The preparations? He has started to learn Japanese to engage with the Dodger’s Star. The Dominican Republic native has done most of his interviews in English. But this time, it seems he has compelled himself to learn a new language. On learning Japanese, Elly Da La Cruz shared his raw thoughts with the reporters. 

Elly Da La Cruz learning Japanese & All-Star selection

After Sunday’s loss against the Detroit Tigers, Da La Cruz met a few reporters in his post-match interview. Mentioning that he is trying to learn Japanese to speak with Shotime, he said, “I’m learning Japanese to talk to Shohei. Yeah. I don’t know if I’m going to learn, but I’m trying. A little Japanese.”  Although Ohtani can speak English, he is more comfortable having a conversation in Japanese. Indeed, if the Dominican Republic player can speak Japanese, he could add a new language to his repository.

Additionally, on the evening of Opening Day on March 29, he held a press conference in English for the first time. This shows his dedication to learning a new language and respecting his MLB peers. “I put a lot of work on my English to talk with you guys, and I think I’m doing a good job.” La Cruz said at that time. The 22-year-old shortstop from Sabana Grande de Boya has made numerous fans. All thanks go to his playful attitude. Undoubtedly, the gesture by Elly Da La Cruz is helping him establish a connection with other fellow players. Also, he seems to respect each player’s background and tries his best to speak in their native language.

Regarding his All-Star game selection, he deserves it! Elly Da La Cruz has been exceptional, having 43 stolen bases and leading in triples. Moreover, he tops the Reds in runs, 15 home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS. What’s more? Da La Cruz ranks third in his league for the triples and fourth in total home runs. However, it’s probably not the first time De La Cruz has learned a new language. 

Not the first Elly De La Cruz’s viral moment learning a language in 2024

By now, the fans must have known that the Cincinnati Reds shortstop is passionate about learning new languages. A similar scenario developed earlier this season when Elly Da La Cruz went viral. He was amazed to see his teammate Alexis Diaz’s English speaking skills post-match. 

Right after the Reds clinched victory over the Yankees, Da La Cruz purposely interrupted his teammate’s interview. Surprisingly, he was eager to see how his teammate spoke English, so he even took over the interview and started asking questions. He asked Diaz about his recent showdown with Juan Soto, and all the conversations were in English. 

Eventually, being a character who learns everything new like he did with English, he might learn Japanese, too. As of now, the All-Star Game is all set to be held on July 16, and Elly Da La Cruz still has a week’s time. Till the time comes, he might brush up on his Japanese skills and talk with ‘Shotime’ on the big stage. Will Da La Cruz be able to speak Japanese with Ohtani? What do you think? Let us know in the comments!