Legends recognize legends, as they say. On July 20, Deion Sanders had much to say about Cincinnati Reds star shortstop Elly De La Cruz. Having played baseball for quite some time, Coach Prime’s heart still beats for the sport. He took a break from the prep for the upcoming season and landed at the 2024 Major League Baseball All-Star festivities.

How could the 22-year-old MLB star move past Deion’s critical vision? And guess what? De La Cruz is one lucky man who received the Buffs HC’s seal of approval. Deion singing De La Cruz’s praises scored him some fan brownie points, too!

A rising star with Deion Sanders-like flair

The last time Deion played in the Majors was in 2001. So what? It didn’t stop the two-sport giant from keeping track of the happenings in the sport, especially when it’s the Reds superstar De La Cruz spreading his impact. The Buffs HC heaped the softball star with praise, “The shortstop from Cincinnati is phenomenal.” Coach Prime continued, “Unbelievable. This kid is a complete player. I love his game; I love the flash, the flamboyance. He is baseball, man. I love what he brings to the game.”

Is there anything special in De La Cruz that immediately caught the coach’s attention? Many say that with his extraordinary speed and flair, he is very much in the mold of Deion himself. The All-Star, for the first time in 2024, the softball phenom led baseball with 46 stolen bases and boasted an NL-best six triples on July 19. Coming from THE GREAT SANDERS, the only athlete in history to appear in both a Super Bowl and World Series, this must have been an “on cloud nine” moment for Cruz. But Deion’s fans are gaga over Coach Prime’s support for the MLB phenom.

Deion’s De La Cruz kudos put him in the fans’ good books

The comment section of the post made by MLB is flooded with fan love for Deion’s cheerleading act. It involved someone like Deion, who had already skyrocketed the impact of the interview. As a fan commented, “Outstanding interview with a man who was a remarkable athlete!” The Buffs HC, still today, is celebrated for his impact through nine seasons in the Major with the Yankees, Braves, Reds, and Giants.

His energy and charisma make him stand out. As another fan commented, “omg i love deion sanders!.. he’s like a legend in both football and baseball..” He is known as “Prime” since not everyone can juggle two sports. For a fan, De La Cruz succeeded in seizing Deion’s attention: “Apparently exciting players like to watch other exciting players.” After all, the Buffs HC played for Triple-A. 

Coach Prime’s glowing endorsement made waves among fans, and one of them wrote, “Yeah, I heard Deion Sanders went off on the mic during that Celebrity Softball Game. He’s always been a smooth talker, but it sounds like he was genuinely hyping up this kid Elly De La Cruz. I mean, if Prime Time thinks you’re got game, you must be doing something right.” He liked the fact that it felt like Deion boosting De La Cruz came deep from his heart. 

There are no second thoughts about the coach being a gem of an athlete, “Deion Sanders Better athlete I have seen.” Coming from the best CB of all time, bagging Pro Football Hall of Fame and Super Bowls is a privilege in itself for De La Cruz.