Reds prospect Elly De La Cruz scores on ridiculous inside-the-park home run (video)

What Elly De La Cruz is doing this season in the minor leagues qualifies as must-watch television. If you don't have a subscription tot MiLB TV, it might be worth it just to watch the Cincinnati Reds top infield prospect on a regular basis.

There's a very good chance by season's end that De La Cruz is among the Top 10 best prospects in all of baseball. Whether he's a shortstop or a third baseman is irrelevant. He's got superstar potential and it's evident every single time he steps onto the field.

That potential was certainly on display during the Chattanooga Lookout's Friday night contest against the Birmingham Barons. Elly De La Cruz produced a play that you have to see to believe.

Reds prospect Elly De La Cruz scores on ridiculous inside-the-park HR.

We've all seen an inside-the-park home run before. The one that comes to mind most often for Reds fans is probably Ken Griffey Jr. walk-off inside-the-park job in 2001. The Kid ripped a line drive off the left-center field wall in the bottom of the 11th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. The ball took a fortuitous bounce and allowed Griffey Jr. to round the bases and score the game-winning run.

But what Elly De La Cruz did on Friday night was far more impressive. For those who don't know, the Cincinnati Reds top prospect has next-level speed. He might not beat Billy Hamilton in a foot race, but I wouldn't bet against him. MLB Pipeline grades De La Cruz's speed at a 60 on the scouting scale while FanGraphs rates his wheels at 70.

In the top of the fifth inning with the game knotted at two runs apiece, Elly De La Cruz laced a line drive off the left-center field wall. The ball nearly got out of the ballpark, but De La Cruz did not stop to admire it. Rather, the 20-year-old raced around the bases and turned a would-be double for most players into a routine triple.

But, De La Cruz didn't stop there. The relay throw hit the cut-off man in shallow left-center field and the infielder lazily lobbed the ball toward third base. De La Cruz saw his opportunity, turned on the jets, and made a bee-line for home plate.

De La Cruz slid safely into the plate, popped right up, and was met with cheers and high fives from his teammates in the Lookouts dugout. That one play is just a small illustration of what we've seen from Elly De La Cruz all season long. If there'e one word to describe the Cincinnati Reds' up-and-coming shortstop prospect it would be special.