Regardless of the night, the biggest name in the WNBA is Caitlin Clark. Even when she’s not playing, the media can’t stop talking about her, social media can’t stop debating about her and the WNBA can’t get enough of her and the attention she generates.
MLB needs to do the same thing with Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz.
De La Cruz has been one of the most exciting players in baseball since first stepping onto the field as a rookie for the Reds in 2023.
Notice that I didn’t say the best or the strongest.
No, Elly has been, arguably, the most exciting player on the MLB diamond since last season. The problem is that most don’t know it because he’s in a small market and MLB has always had a challenge promoting its players properly.
Last season, MLB took a few giant steps away from its stodgy, conservative ways and implemented rule changes that brought speed and excitement back to the game.
The league implemented a 30-second pitch clock, limited pickoff attempts to two, restricted defensive shifts and increased Interleague games from 20 to 46. Those moves brought fans back to the park, significantly shortened the length of games and enabled players like Elly De La Cruz to let loose.
The trouble is that MLB has yet to take advantage of the gift they unwrapped in 2023.
In only 98 games last season, the young player from the Dominican Republic only hit .235 with 13 HRs and 44 RBIs. But it wasn’t his hitting that captivated fans; it was his legs and arms.
Almost a year ago to the day, on July 8th, 2023, Elly electrified the crowd by stealing second, third and finally home during one wild sequence.
