Reds rookie becomes youngest player in half-century to record a cycle
What can't rookie sensation Elly De La Cruz do?
On Thursday night, the Cincinnati Reds' electric third baseman continued to impress, becoming the youngest player in over half a century to hit for the cycle. Moreover, De La Cruz recorded his historic feat in record time, clinching the cycle with a triple in the sixth inning.
The 21-year-old became the fifth-youngest player in baseball history to hit for the cycle, older than only Mel Ott (20 years, 75 days), Cliff Heathcote (20 years, 140 days), Arky Vaughan (21 years, 107 days) and Cesar Cedeno (21 years, 159 days), per Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
Meanwhile, De La Cruz's cycle also broke a Reds streak of 34 years without one. De La Cruz is the seventh Reds player to hit for the cycle and the first since Eric Davis in 1989.
De La Cruz did the impossible in only his 15th MLB game. However, believe it or not, it's only the third-fastest cycle in baseball history, as Heathcote in 1918 (six games) and Gary Ward (14 games) in 1980 just barely beat De La Cruz out.
While hitting for the cycle would be history enough for most players, De La Cruz showed the baseball world that he's on a different level Friday night against the Atlanta Braves. De La Cruz made it from home plate to the third base bag in 10.83 seconds, tying himself for the fastest time in MLB this season.
De La Cruz's unforgettable night helped lead the Reds to their 12th-straight victory, defeating the Braves, 11-10. Nearly a month ago, Cincinnati was last in the NL Central. Now, they own a 1.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for first place at 41-35.
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