Should Reds fans buy stock into Elly De La Cruz's batting order change?

The Cincinnati Reds starting lineup has seen a number of changes over the past week. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Jeimer Candelario, and Jonathan India have all found different spots in the batting order lately.

Is that because of the illness that swept through the Reds' clubhouse this past week, or are some of these changes more permanent? One thing every Reds fan knows about manager David Bell is that once you think you've got it figured out, he's bound to pull a fast one on you.

One change that has been made recently has been Elly De La Cruz's spot in the lineup. The electric Reds' shortstop began the season hitting down in the No. 6 hole, but more recently has found a home as Cincinnati's No. 2. Should Reds fans be buying stock in De La Cruz's new spot in the batting order?

Should Reds fans buy stock into Elly De La Cruz's batting order change?

It's a small sample size, to be sure, but De La Cruz has found success hitting second in the Reds' batting order. In his first three outings hitting in the No. 2 hole, De La Cruz has hit .500/.615/.600. Of course that's not going to continue, but if De La Cruz's spot in the batting order doesn't drastically affect his approach at the plate, by all means Bell should keep the infielder batting second in the lineup.

It's simple math, really. The higher a player hits in the batting order, the more at-bats he should receive through the game. The more at-bats De La Cruz receives, the more opportunities he has to impact the game.

Reds fans have already seen that De La Cruz can draw a walk, steal two bases, and end up on third base before the opposing pitcher even delivers two strikes to the batter. With players like Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand behind him, chances are good that De La Cruz can come around from first base to home plate on anything hit into the alley.

It'll be curious to see how the Reds' skipper approaches the starting lineup when an opposing left-hander is on the mound. But when facing lefties this season, De La Cruz is still posting a .769 OPS which is higher than Steer, Encarnacion-Strand, and Jonathan India. At the moment, Bell may want to keep De La Cruz batting second, and when TJ Friedl returns, the Reds' lineup could become even more potent with Captain Chaos batting leadoff.

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