Ranking the Reds top 10 rookie performers from the 2023 season

7. Elly De La Cruz, Reds rookie shortstop

This might shock a few people, but again, this is based on performance. Elly De La Cruz has all the physical tools in the world to be one of the Top 5 best players in baseball. But, there were definitely some concerns that fans saw during De La Cruz's rookie campaign.

De LaCruz has an absolute cannon for an arm, but his defense at shortstop needs some work. His elite athleticism allows him to make plays on the infielder dirt that nobody else can. However, there were times when the routine plays seemed to trip up De La Cruz.

Strikeouts were also a concern about midway through De La Cruz's rookie campaign. The 21-year-old seemed to hit the rookie wall around the middle of August. But, once David Bell got De La Cruz out of the leadoff spot, he began to return to the player that set the baseball world on fire during the month of June.

Don't take this low ranking as an indictment of Elly De La Cruz's ability, but rather a fair evaluation of an up-and-down rookie season. De La Cruz's WAR ranked sixth on the team among rookies according to Baseball Reference, so this seems like an appropriate spot for the budding superstar.