Baseball's next big thing is here

Photo: Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Elly De La Cruz has arrived. And judging by his first two big league games, it's safe to say the 21-year-old phenom will be in baseball fans' lives for the foreseeable future.

Driving the news: The Cincinnati Reds' 6-foot-5, switch-hitting shortstop demolished his first career home run in Wednesday's 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers — a 458-foot bomb that nearly left Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park. At 114.8 mph, it's the hardest-batted ball by a Red since 2019.

The backdrop: De La Cruz was unheralded when he signed for just $65,000 in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic, but a growth spurt combined with his obvious natural ability pushed him up Cincinnati's depth chart.

Wild stat: Just to give you a sense of De La Cruz's physical strength: Last month, he recorded the fastest infield throw of the season in either Triple-A or MLB (99.2 mph). The very next day, he blasted the hardest-hit ball at either level (118.8 mph double).

ICYMI … De La Cruz's teammate, Will Benson, also hit his first career HR on Wednesday — a walk-off to win the game. My man was pumped.