Why is Elly De Le Cruz Getting So Many Bad Strike Calls Against Him?

It's tough to watch.

Greg Kuffner | Sep 12, 2024

May 12, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz (44) strikes out against the San Francisco Giants during the tenth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Reds

Elly De La Cruz leads Major League Baseball in strikeouts. It's a part of his game that can certainly improve.

However, when doing a deeper dive, he seems to be getting no help from the umpires behind the dish.

De La Cruz has struck out looking 13 times this season on pitches outside of the strike zone. That doesn't include examples like the one below. In the eighth inning of Wednesday night's loss to the Cardinals, he should have walked on a 3-1 pitch. The umpire called the pitch a strike, and he ended up striking out later in the at-bat.

Elly should have walked. Pitch 5 was called a strike.

He then got out.

At least once a night Elly gets an awful strike called on him.

Ridiculous. #Reds pic.twitter.com/hk7S4Y989K
— Reds Daily (@RedsDaily4) September 12, 2024

This isn't just a theory. It's something we can back up with numbers. According to Baseball Savant, De La Cruz is seventh in Major League Baseball in pitches outside of the zone being called strikes against him. It has happened 66 times this season.

Jonathan India is actually getting the same treatment. He is tied with De La Cruz on that list.

Leaderboard for pitches outside the strike zone called a strike. /

Minor League Baseball has been experimenting with an automated strike zone and a challenge system for a couple of years now. Major League Baseball is the only league whose Minor League system is better than its current system.

Enough is enough and it is time to either hold umpires accountable or use the technology to get calls right.

Whatever the answer is, Reds fans are tired of watching De La Cruz getting affected by controversial strike zones.