This young Reds star might have changed his swing in offseason
Elly De La Cruz appears to be gearing up for his encore next season.
Cincinnati Reds writer Bryce Spalding shared some videos this week of a new-looking swing from the Reds phenom De La Cruz. Most notably, De La Cruz seems to have done away with his high leg kick. Spalding noted that De La Cruz’s swing looks slower, more controlled and slightly more open
Spalding also shared a side-by-side edited video comparison of De La Cruz’s old swing to his new one.
The 22-year-old De La Cruz was an exhilarating watch from the moment that the Reds called him up last June. His combination of size, speed and Paul Bunyan power made De La Cruz a walking highlight reel (no matter if he was at the plate, on the basepaths or in the field).
That said, De La Cruz also proved that he was still pretty raw. He struggled in particular with his batting average – finishing the year hitting just .235 over 98 total games – and his high strikeout rate – a whopping 144 total whiffs.
With his approach at the plate looking like his biggest current weakness, De La Cruz developing a corrected swing this offseason to pair with his other physical gifts is probably exactly what Reds fans want to see.
