Ranking the 10 most important young players for the Reds future

2. Elly De La Cruz, Reds shortstop prospect

Elly De La Cruz rose to prominence during the 2021 minor league season. Last year, De La Cruz was rated as one of the top prospects in the sport and he showed why. Appearing in both High-A and Double-A last season, De La Cruz was arguably the best player in the minor leagues.

This season has seen De La Cruz slowed by a minor injury to begin the year, but the 21-year-old is gaining steam and quickly making his way to the majors. Whether it's later this summer or later this week, De La Cruz will be a major leaguer, and once that happens, thee rest of the league betteer watch out.

De La Cruz is the most electric prospect the Cincinnati Reds have had since Jay Bruce. The real question as the Reds roster begin to evolve is where he plays. De La Cruz is a shortstop by trade, but with his size, the 6-foot-6 infielder could wind up at the hot corner.

A left side of the infield that features Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain for the next decade would certainly be something to watch. While one could make the argument that De La Cruz is the most important player when it comes to the future of the Cincinnati Reds, there's still one player ahead of him.