'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Gunnar Henderson and Elly De La Cruz are two of the best shortstops in baseball right now. They're both very young players with only a couple of seasons worth of experience, but they are both viewed as the next faces of baseball.
They, as a result, were two of the three cover athletes for MLB The Show 25, the annual baseball simulation video game. Along with Paul Skenes, they represent the future and present in baseball.
Trending
Which one would be the choice to start a franchise with? Three MLB analysts debated, and two of them leaned toward the Cincinnati Reds superstar for the excitement he brings and the potential he has.
Jon Heyman said:
"I'm looking for the entertainment value, so I'm taking Elly. I think it's basically a toss-up, and they've both come a long way... In terms of overall talent and upside or ceiling, I can't really beat Elly."
Mark DeRosa said:
"I don't want to answer this. The safe play is Gunnar, but you know I like things a little sexy. I think Elly's got a chance to win multiple MVPs. If he figures it out, I don't know if I love him switch-hitting. Defensively, if he cleans that up, no one can handle him on the basepaths... Gunnar's at that level."
Robert Flores said that the defensive metrics say De La Cruz is better than most might think, and the two shortstops go back and forth in other areas of the game, making it a genuine toss-up.
He, like Heyman, leaned toward De La Cruz from an entertainment standpoint, but they all agreed that De La Cruz's potential was off the charts, while the Baltimore Orioles star is a bit more of an established player.
Who's been better, Gunnar Henderson or Elly De La Cruz?
To this point of the season, Elly De La Cruz has 287 career games in the MLB. Gunnar Henderson is at 364. The counting stats may lean slightly toward Henderson as a result.
In terms of batting average, Henderson is a career. 265 hitter. De La Cruz is at .252, so there's not a huge difference there. Henderson also has the edge over De La Cruz in career wRC+, 136 to 105.
Henderson has 71 home runs and 34 stolen bases during his MLB career. De La Cruz has 43 home runs and 113 stolen bases. On defense, De La Cruz has -7 defensive runs saved. Henderson has 14 at the same position. That all translates to 13.6 career fWAR for Henderson and 8.9 for De La Cruz.
