Reds notes: Why Elly De La Cruz tweaked his swing

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Facing one of the best strikeout pitchers in baseball, Elly De La Cruz stepped up to the plate for his first official live batting practice of the spring.

It was All-Star vs. All-Star as De La Cruz faced Hunter Greene. De La Cruz smoked a triple to right field. It was classic De La Cruz.

We’ve seen swings like this from De La Cruz a million times over the last three years. He’s one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball, and the Reds want to give him the leeway to be aggressive and make the most of his upside at the plate.

But the Reds and De La Cruz also want to see significantly fewer strikeouts from the shortstop who led MLB in that stat in 2024. So this swing against Greene looked a bit different.

De La Cruz has tweaked his stance. He stands up taller at the plate in more of an open stance, and there’s a smoother rhythm as he gets into his swing.

“It’s a little bit different of a set up this year,” new hitting coach Chris Valaika said. “The biggest thing we’re going to focus on with Elly is keeping him aggressive, but being more in control with his forward movement. Moving more through the middle of his body helps with his adjustability. It helps with his decision making.”

It’s not a major change because the Reds don’t want to fix something that isn’t broken. It’s a minor adjustment in a season full of them for De La Cruz.

De La Cruz made the leap into superstar status in 2024 and became one of the best players in baseball. It’s almost impossible for him to make such a big leap again.

But for De La Cruz to be the best player on the best team in baseball, he has to make fewer errors. He has to be smarter on the bases. And he has to cut down on his strikeouts.

“He’s such a humble and hard-working guy,” TJ Friedl said. “There’s never a doubt in my mind that he’s going to continue to get better. Just not being satisfied that you made it, that’s the biggest challenge. I don’t think there’s any worry that he’s going to work, get better and have an even better year.”

De La Cruz’s swing looked pretty good on Monday. There’s a balance between making the swing path more consistent while still giving him the ability to showcase his 80-grade power.

It’ll take reps to perfect this revamped version of his swing.

“We’re going to fight timing with it,” Valaika said. “He’ll have to figure that out in at-bats. The intent behind it is to be more rhythmic and be in an even better position so that he’s able to get into a consistent firing position.”

Valaika and Terry Francona don’t want De La Cruz to be any less aggressive. They just want him to be more in control.

“It’s that controlled aggression,” Valaika said. “He’s going to be in position consistently to get his swing off and not feeling like he has to go out and ambush a pitch. The more he can repeat his swing, he’s going to be in a really good spot.”

Jose Trevino and the new guys fit right in

On the Reds caravan, Terry Francona was talking with Jim Day on the bus when he saw another conversation out of the corner of his eye.

Jose Trevino was talking with minor league catcher Alfredo Duno, a top-100 prospect in MLB who has incredible power.

“(Trevino) had (Duno) corralled, and they were going over catching,” Francona said. “I didn’t want to go barge in. Part of me was like, ‘This is great.’ When a teammate who had just played in the World Series with his defensive reputation, when he talks, people are going to listen.”

The Reds’ new pieces have all made a good first impression. Another example is Gavin Lux, who was in the clubhouse on Monday going up to Reds pitchers and offering to give them feedback.

It’s uncertain what position Lux is going to play this season, but he has made it clear that he’ll do whatever the team needs.

The Reds made a point to add players with winning experience during the offseason.

“Guys who have won know right from wrong, and that’s important,” Francona said. “The guys we brought in will do a lot. They’ve been there and done it, but they’re not overbearing in their presence. And they have a lot of good stuff to say.”

The two-year difference with Matt McLain

After dealing with oblique and shoulder injuries that have kept McLain off the field since August of 2023, he said that he knows a lot more about taking care of his body heading into 2025.

He has a new prep routine and a different recovery routine. He does pilates. He stretches a lot more before and after practices and spends more time in the cold and hot tubs. He’s more flexible.

On Sunday, Francona said that the Reds are having McLain focus on second base. The expectation is that second base will be McLain’s spot in 2025. He didn’t make too much of his anointing.

“I’m looking forward to it, but I’m still grinding the same way,” McLain said.

For more of Charlie’s coverage of spring training, stay posted here. Also, look out for some upcoming features with Cincinnati Magazine.