Reds’ top prospect makes history in Triple-A

De La Cruz doubled in the third inning to drive in a run. That hit measured 118.8 miles per hour off the bat. It’s the hardest hit ball in Triple-A and Major League Baseball this year.

A home run in the fifth by De La Cruz measured 116.6 miles per hour and traveled 456 feet.

De La Cruz then hit a home run that measured 117.1 miles per hour in the sixth. It traveled 428 feet.

The Bats scored four runs in the ninth to beat the Columbus Clippers 10-9. De La Cruz was 3-for-4 with four RBIs. He walked with the bases loaded in the ninth to bring in the game-winning run.

The Reds’ minor league player of the year in 2022, De La Cruz is hitting .284 (21 for 74) with five home runs and 13 RBIs in 16 games. In seven games in May, he’s hitting .394 (13-for-33) with four home runs and eight RBIs.

De La Cruz, 20, hit .303 with 20 home runs and 52 RBIs in 73 games with the Dayton Dragons last season. The Reds promoted him to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts on July 20, and he hit .305 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs in 47 games.