It was a matchup of power against power in the Cincinnati Reds’ spring training camp when hard-throwing right-hander Hunter Greene squared off against uber-talented shortstop Elly De La Cruz in live batting practice.
Greene won the battle. However, his luxury SUV lost the war on Tuesday in Goodyear, Ariz.
De La Cruz fouled the first pitch he saw from Greene into the players’ parking lot. The ball ended up smashing the left rear window of the SUV.
Greene wound up striking out De La Cruz on six pitches. However, an intrasquad strikeout won’t cover the cost of a new window.
So, who will pay for that window? Greene believes De La Cruz should be held liable and open his wallet.
Conversely, De La Cruz feels Greene should pay after signing a six-year, $53-million contract extension last season that pays him $3.3 million in 2024. De La Cruz will likely make just over the MLB minimum salary of $740,000 as he is not yet eligible for salary arbitration.
This is hard to believe. This Elly De La Cruz foul ball during live BP off Hunter Greene smashed the rear driver’s side window of Greene’s luxury SUV. “You’re paying for it” Greene said. EDLC’s answer? “You make more than me.” pic.twitter.com/JlCI8wxPsL
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) February 20, 2024
Both young players – Greene is 24 and De La Cruz is 22 — have a chance to be stars and are part of the reason why the Reds believe they can reach the postseason this year for the first time since 2013. After losing 100 games in 2022, the Reds just missed the playoffs last season when they went 82-80 and finished two games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final National League wild card.
Hunter Greene’s Potential is Potential
The Reds have had high hopes for Greene since selecting him with the second overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Greene made his MLB debut in 2022 and has struggled to get big-league hitters out. He has a 9-20 record in 46 career starts with a 4.62 ERA.
However, Greene’s ability to be overpowering at times is evident as he has 316 strikeouts in 237 2/3 innings. He pitched 7 1/3 no-hit innings as a rookie against the Pirates but wound up taking the loss as five walks led to Pittsburgh scoring one run.
One statistical marker provides hope that Greene’s fortunes could turn this season. His 4.25 FIP (fielding independent pitching) last year was more than a half run lower than his ERA, indicating Greene pitched in his share of bad luck.
Elly De La Cruz Had Memorable Start
De La Cruz had a blistering start to his major-league career last season after he debuted on June 6. The Dominican Republic native batted .328/.366/.533 with four home runs and 16 RBIs through his first 29 games.
It seemed De La Cruz highlights were splashed all over social media every night. One of his most impressive feats came in his second game when he blasted his first home run, a 458-foot drive off the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Noah Syndergaard with a 114.2-mph exit velocity and a 35-degree launch angle.
However, pitchers eventually adjusted to De La Cruz and found holes in the 6-foot-6 right-handed hitter’s swing. In De La Cruz’s last 69 games, he batted .192/.271/.353 and struck out 106 times in 296 plate appearances.
The Reds, though, are confident that De La Cruz will bounce back this season and help form the nucleus of a potentially strong lineup that should include such other young players as second baseman Matt McLain, third baseman Noelvi Marte, left fielder Spencer Steer and right fielder Will Benson.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Reds’ Elly De La Cruz Breaks Window in Hunter Greene’s SUV appeared first on Heavy.com.