BREAKING: Cincinnati Reds Shortstop Elly De La Cruz Debuts New Batting Stance, Aims to Cut Down on Strikeouts

Elly De La Cruz had an impressive 2024 season, but he also led the league in strikeouts. As he prepares for spring training, he’s focusing on cutting down on those strikeouts, with the help of new hitting coach Chris Valaika.

De La Cruz debuted a new batting stance on Monday during a live batting practice session against All-Star Hunter Greene. Valaika explained that the focus for De La Cruz is to maintain his aggressiveness while improving control over his forward movement. The goal is to help him move more through the middle of his body to improve adjustability and decision-making.

De La Cruz looked solid against Greene on Monday. In his first at-bat, he hit a ball into the gap that, thanks to his speed, could have easily turned into a triple. However, Greene struck him out in his second at-bat. In his third, De La Cruz showed patience, not swinging at tough two-strike pitches, and earned a walk. In the fourth, he shocked Greene with a soft line drive to left field.

Despite his already impressive skills, De La Cruz is committed to continuing to improve. The Reds want him to maintain his aggression but in a more controlled way. Valaika emphasized the importance of being in the right position consistently to make solid contact without feeling the need to overly force a pitch. Repeating his swing effectively will put him in a great spot moving forward.

For more details, you can read Charlie Goldsmith’s full article on De La Cruz.