MLB analyst Greg Amsinger made a bold prediction for Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who is coming off a career year in 2024, leading the majors with 67 stolen bases.
During the countdown to MLB Top 100 heading into the 2025 season, Amsinger revealed that De La Cruz takes the No. 31 spot following a year where he hit .259 with a .809 OPS in 160 games.
The analyst then made a bold prediction, saying De La Cruz will be in the top 3 when they give out rankings ahead of the 2026 season.
![march madness logo](http://staticg.sportskeeda.com/skm/assets/march-madness-logo.png)
"I want to focus on Elly De La Cruz," Amsinger said. "A year ago, we saw Bobby Witt Jr. ranked at number 20. Defensively, Bobby Witt was coming off a poor season. However, in 2023, he improved in every single category. In 2024, we projected a young shortstop’s growth, and we ended up looking smart.
"Elly De La Cruz is up 69 spots. We are projecting a lot of good things, but Steve, I'm sorry — this is a top-20 talent. Mark my words, Elly De La Cruz will be a perennial top-three player on this list. I say top three because Shohei Ohtani exists— that’s the only reason I wouldn’t say number one."
Amsinger compared Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.'s 2023 stats with De La Cruz's 2024 stats. The 2024 AL MVP finalist batted .276 with 177 hits, 30 homers, 96 RBIs and 97 runs scored in 158 games in 2023.
With so much similarity between them, just like how Witt made the top 3 this year, the same could happen with the Reds star.
What does the fantasy outlook of Elly De La Cruz look like?
According to ESPN, Elly De La Cruz is the sixth-best-rated batter and third-best shortstop behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson. He is projected to have another 25 home run season in 2025 along with 78 RBIs and 58 SBs, which will be a dip compared to the 2024 season.
Meanwhile, Baseball Reference projects the shortstop to hit 21 HRs, 66 RBIs, 50 SBs and 137 Hits. While the fantasy outlook doesn't look that promising for Elly De La Cruz, he has the opportunity to prove that the 2024 season wasn't just a fluke.