CINCINNATI — Going back to what got him here. A new swing mechanic may see more power from Elly De La Cruz in 2026.
In a recent post on Charlie’s Chalkboard on Substack, Charlie Goldsmith highlighted that Elly De La Cruz is utilizing the leg kick in his swing mechanics, over the toe tap he was using last season.
“Last year, the hybrid toe tap helped him slow things down and see the ball better,” hitting coach Chris Valaika said. “Did it take away some of the aggressiveness? There’s probably an argument to that. At the end of the season, going back to (the leg kick), he feels more comfortable with that. If we can tap into his athleticism with it, we’ll see what it looks like.”
There are a few factors to why this is a positive sign. De La Cruz went through the worst power drought of his career last season. He hit three home runs in September after going over a month without one. He dealt with a quad injury for the final few months of the season, playing every day and also being the only true offensive threat on a team that doesn’t have a ton of power outside of the 24-year-old.
The Reds assistant hitting coach, Alex Peláez, played video of players hitting home runs on the big screen in a series against the Cardinals, with De La Cruz’s being from earlier in his career with the leg kick. From then on, he returned to the leg kick and had a .939 OPS from September 15 through the end of the season.
What does this all mean and why did he use the toe tap to begin with?
The toe tap took moving parts out of his swing, and he upped his batting average to a career high last season and was striking out far less than in previous seasons. He slashed .284/.359/.495 pre-All-Star break. With the knowledge of the use of the toe tap and now training to a leg kick mechanic, he looks to add power to his newfound confidence in his approach to the strike zone.
“He has a chance to hit 30 homers and steal 50 bags,” Nick Krall said on Thursday. “If he can mash in the zone and not chase… he’ll be an elite player.”
If Elly De La Cruz can match the power he had in 2024 with the plate approach he had last season, he may very well be in MVP talks at the end of this season. The addition of Eugenio Suarez only makes that a more realistic possibility. For the first time in his career, he has a true presence behind him to offer protection.
“We all want guys to be as dangerous as possible,” Francona said. Things go hand in hand. If you’re swinging at good pitches, you’re going to be more dangerous. How do you swing at good pitches? You have to get a good look at the ball. Keeping his center of gravity and his core in one place (is key),” Francona said. “If he’s able to do that with a leg kick, great. He’s so long levered. When he starts getting in front, it gets longer and makes it harder.”
Elly De La Cruz is an amazing talent, he put that on full display from the moment he debuted with the Reds, going into his third full season, the two-time All-Star looks to take that next leap into being a superstar and consistent MVP candidate.
You can read Goldsmith’s full story on De La Cruz with additional quotes here.
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