An Important Second Half is Coming Up for This Cincinnati Reds Star

Of the Cincinnati Reds players, Elly De La Cruz still, frustratingly, has the most to prove. The narrative around De La Cruz is very much one of a young player figuring things out, despite him having the second most WAR in the National League.

De La Cruz’s production in the first half has been elite in all facets of the game. Many naysayers still argue that he is not among the league’s best because of how last season went.

The shortstop burst onto the scene last year. De La Cruz put up an .887 OPS prior to the All Star break. However, following the break, he had a .627 OPS while striking out 105 times in 68 games. That second half really hurt De La Cruz’s reputation. It was clear that pitchers found out how to attack him. De La Cruz did not have an answer for fastballs up in the zone. Elly could not lay off a good high fastball or a well thrown breaking ball in the dirt.

This year, though, De La Cruz has made his own adjustments. He has hit to an OPS of .830 and made major strides as a hitter. Still, many fans expect De La Cruz to look silly on a well executed pitch out of the zone.

A strong second half from the Reds star will reaffirm what fans watching him every day know. De La Cruz is already a much improved hitter. He is more comfortable than he was last year and a much tougher out.

De La Cruz has also made huge strides defensively. Last year, Elly had 4 outs above average and had a fielding run value of three. This year, he already has eight outs above average and a fielding run value of six.

The phenom is getting better and better at using his size and speed to his advantage. He looks a lot more comfortable in his body and in how he plays the game.

Elly De La Cruz is poised to have a great second half and finally quiet down the naysayers.