There has been a minority of Reds fans that would like to move Elly De La Cruz to centerfield. Because of the comparisons to Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, fans believe Elly will have the same fate as Cruz and be moved to centerfield. I couldn’t disagree more. Elly De La Cruz should be the Reds shortstop going forward and here is why.

There’s no question about Elly’s athleticism. His speed alone gets him to balls at short that most shortstops just can not get to. Elly is in the 98th percentile in defensive range (outs above average). In 2023, Elly was in the 86th percentile in OAA, a pretty substantial improvement in just one full season at the position. Yes, he led MLB in errors, but a large percentage of those errors were early on in the season or on balls no other player could get to and he just rushed a throw. The main point is there was improvement in his defensive game though out the season. Oneil Cruz wasn’t showing any improvement and was subsequently moved to centerfield. Also, Oneil Cruz is 26 years old, going into his 5th season and has a negative OAA throughout his career so far. Elly De La Cruz is 22 and was a plus 15 OAA even while leading baseball in errors. If he can tighten up the errors, Elly will be one of the best shortstops in baseball.

Elly has all the potential to be a good to great defensive centerfielder, I don’t like the move for a few reasons. Elly has played either shortstop or third base for the majority of his baseball life so there would be a steep learning curve for someone about to hit their 3rd year in the big leagues and making a major defensive change. There’s a larger injury risk in centerfield. Elly is a risk taker. He’ll take an extra base, try for a triple when he has a certain double. I think he would have the same aggression in the outfield. Sure, he would probably make some outstanding plays, while getting to balls no one else could. He would also put himself into a larger injury risk with his aggressive style of play. Can he get injured at short? Absolutely! It’s just a little less risky than running 24 mph into a wall trying to rob a home run, or running full speed diving for a ball in the gap while calling off either corner outfielder.

The Pirates moved Cruz to centerfield because he doesn’t play with the same tendencies as Elly does. Barry Larkin had 29 errors in the 1998 season and still went on to be one of the better shortstops in MLB history even becoming a Hall of Famer. Elly De La Cruz is the shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds and that’s the best position for him, and the franchise.

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