McCoy: Lofty expectations for Reds’ De La Cruz

Their initials are all E.D. One used to be plagued by extraordinarily high standards. One is now equal in weight.

One has reached those challenging objectives, while the other is prepared to see if he can reach those lofty ones.

Eric Davis and Elly De La Cruz are those individuals. A player with five tools, Davis was. De La Cruz is a multi-tool player.

Both displayed flashes of genius in their first seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, despite their struggles.

Analyze this infield dilemma for the Reds? Balancing playtime with flexibility

In 57 games following his 1984 move to Cincinnati, Eric Davis reached 200 plate appearances. He drove in thirty runs, hit ten home runs, stole ten bases, and had a slash line of.224/.320/.420—none of which were very noteworthy.

Elly De La Cruz appeared in 98 games with 427 plate appearances after making his debut in June 2018. He hit 13 home runs, drove in 44 runs, and swiped 35 bases. His slash line was.235/.300/.410, just as Davis’s.

And wasn’t it fascinating that, in the season before, De La Cruz followed in Davis’ footsteps as the first player from Cincinnati to bat for the cycle (single, double, triple, and home run) in a game?

Despite making big, flamboyant headlines due to his early success, Elly’s explosive career began to fade away last season after 427 games and 144 strikeouts.

He never saw a pitch that didn’t look like a low-and-broken meal of New York strip steak. To him, it was just hamburger beef. All too frequently, he would sit in the bench and rest after a strikeout.

Discuss about meat? In the renowned Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse located in downtown Cincinnati, there is already a steak on the menu named after De La Cruz.

De La Cruz’s charismatic nature contributes to his appeal. It’s obvious he likes the game because he has one of those classic, permanent Pepsodent smiles.

Davis went on to become the enduring and charming player who was described as a superstar on his ticket. He stole 80 bases, hit 27 home runs, and drove in 71 in 1986. He stole 50 bases, hit 37 home runs, and drove in 100 runs in 1987.

Together with Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Billy Hatcher, Joe Oliver, Ron Oester, Hal Morris, Todd Benzinger, and the Nasty Boys bullpen (Rob Dibble, Norm Charlton, Randy Myers), Jose Rijo, and Tom Browning, Eric the Red played a significant role in manager Lou Piniella’s 1990 World Series victors.

With a slash line of.281/.367/.541, Davis also contributed 21 stolen bases, 86 RBI, and 24 home runs.

Thus, Davis leaves behind a bright legacy that supporters now look to Elly De La Cruz to build. Is it a coincidence that Elly’s uniform number is 44, which Davis also wears?

Is it feasible? Some people were cleaning up a corner of Cooperstown for De La Cruz’s plaque after the first month. Next was his melancholic September tune.

But some of the things he accomplished were truly remarkable.

When first baseman Joey Votto saw him for the first time, he remarked, “He’s the best runner I’ve ever seen and has the most power I’ve ever seen.” On June 6, after Nick Senzel was hurt, he was promoted to the Reds. In addition, his arm is the strongest I’ve ever seen.

According to Statcast, Bobby Witt Jr. of Kansas City and De La Cruz ran 30.5 feet per second last season, making them the quickest runners in MLB. At Wheeling Downs Greyhound Track, they might both win the fourth race.

In July, De La Cruz became the first player from the Reds since Greasy Neale in 1919 to steal home, third, and second in the same inning during a game. However, it took Greasy two pitches to get it done. It was De La Cruz.

In terms of power, his first major league home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in June went 458 feet and almost brought down one of the smokestacks on the fictitious paddle-wheel boat in center field.

Regarding his arm, in 2023 he threw the fastest balls in major league history, averaging 95.6 miles per hour to first base.

More Davis-De La Cruz parallels: Davis was first signed as a shortstop but was later moved to the outfield. There has been discussion about transferring Elly to the outfield, where his speed and arm may be more effectively employed, because some feel that at 6-foot-5, he is too tall to play shortstop, as if there were a legal limit.

But in September, as teams made adjustments, he suffered hard. It is now his responsibility to modify.

But De La Cruz can do it all because it’s there. His professional life is uncertain.