Breaking Down Elly De La Cruz's Production by Pitch Type

De La Cruz had a team-leading .810 OPS in 2024.

Sep 17, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) hits a double against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Analyzing Elly De La Cruz’s 2024 season reveals a fascinating breakdown of how the young star fared against each pitch type, showcasing his growth, challenges, and adaptability at the plate.

De La Cruz saw 901 fastballs in 2024 and hit .284 with nine home runs and 27 extra-base hits over 197 at-bats. His .284 average against fastballs was up from .239 in 2023. 

Opposing pitchers threw De La Cruz a ton of sliders in 2024. He saw 449 sliders and hit .238 with 11 extra-base hits against sliders in 2024. Compare that to 2023, when he hit just .213 against sliders. 

The next pitch De La Cruz saw the most in 2024 was the changeup. He saw 411 changeups and hit .238 against them, with eight extra-base hits in 101 at-bats. Those numbers are similar to what he did in 2023 when he hit .239 against changeups and seven extra-base hits. 

De La Cruz saw 288 sinkers in 2024 and had a lot of success. The 22-year-old hit .354 in 65 at-bats to go along with 11 extra-base hits. In 2023, he hit just .225 against the pitch. 

The pitch De La Cruz struggles with the most is the curve ball. He faced 270 of them in 2024 and hit just .182 against them with five extra-base hits. It was also the pitch he struggled with the most in 2023, hitting just .196.

De La Cruz saw 262 cutters and hit .306 with six extra-base hits against the pitch over 62 at-bats. In 2023 he also had a lot of success against cutters, posting a .333 average.

The splitter gave De La Cruz plenty of issues in 2024. Although he saw just 94 of them, he hit just .133 against the pitch and had just one extra-base hit in 15 at bats. In 2023 he had much more success against splitters, hitting .235. 

De La Cruz saw 62 knuckle curves in 2024 and was 0-15 with 11 strikeouts. In 2023, he hit .222 in just nine at-bats against knuckle curves.

He saw 14 combined knuckleballs, forkballs, and eephus pitches. He was 1-4 against those three pitches. 

Based on the data above, you can tell De La Cruz loves to hit any type of fastball, including cutters and sinkers. 

Once De La Cruz improves his ability to consistently handle breaking balls and splitters, the sky's the limit for his potential at the plate.

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