The Cincinnati Reds have to be excited about what their future holds.
Last season, the Reds competed for a playoff berth until the final week of the year.
But, they came up just short and their inexperience could have been a reason why.
The Reds were trotting out rookies or young players at almost every position.
But, one rookie stood out amongst the rest.
That was shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
The Reds called De La Cruz up in June, and he was immediately one of the most exciting players in baseball.
What many people lauded De La Cruz for was his ability to hit the baseball hard.
His exit velocities were elite, and that is one way to evaluate a good hitter.
According to the team, De La Cruz had the five hardest-hit balls by a Reds player this past year.
Elly De La Cruz had the 5 hardest hits by a Red in ’23.
🔴 119.2 MPH (3rd hardest in MLB)🔴 116.6 MPH🔴 115.4 MPH🔴 114.8 MPH🔴 113.7 MPH pic.twitter.com/HEqnDZIGV5
De La Cruz was a ton of fun to watch last season, but it did not come without some struggles.
As expected, it was a difficult adjustment for him from Triple-A to the Major Leagues.
But, the more experience he gets facing big-league pitching the better he will be.
De La Cruz ended last season batting .235 with 144 strikeouts in 388 at-bats.
He will have to lower his strikeout rate if he wants to improve as a hitter.
But, his speed and power cannot be denied.
He had one of the fastest sprint speeds in the sport and he stole 35 bases in 98 games.
The 2024 season will be his first full one as a major leaguer.
It would not be a surprise to see him make a run at a 30-home run/50 stolen-base season.