Reds signing Eugenio Suarez could spark an Elly De La Cruz MVP run

The addition of Eugenio Suarez to the Cincinnati Reds' lineup is transformative in more than one way. Not only are the Reds upgrading their power output by bringing the fan-favorite back home, but there will be a trickle-down effect that will make his teammates that much better.

The player who stands to gain the most from Suarez being inserted into the lineup is Elly De La Cruz. The Reds' star is just beginning to scratch the surface of his true potential, leading some to believe that the 24-year-old could reach unfathomable heights.

De La Cruz is already recognized as one of the best shortstops in the game, but with Suarez providing protection, he could ascend to be one of the best players in the entire league and a true MVP candidate.

The Reds' addition of Eugenio Suarez could elevate Elly De La Cruz to MVP-caliber status

De La Cruz has never had this level of protection in the lineup, and assuming Suarez bats behind him, that could pay huge dividends.

The budding superstar has been a dead red fastball hitter throughout his career, producing a run value of six against four seamers in 2025. He also performed well against other hard stuff, with a run value of three against sinkers and a neutral mark of zero against cutters.

Those numbers were actually a step back from what he did in 2024, when he recorded run values of 11, 10, and 1 against four-seam fastballs, sinkers, and cutters, respectively. Where he's traditionally struggled has been against the softer stuff, especially breaking balls, where he's posted negative run values across the board the past two seasons.

The book is out on De La Cruz, with the amount of fastballs (of any variety) he saw dropping from 52.5% to 46.9% from 2024 to 2025. That's because the star shortstop hit .299 with a .576 SLG against heaters in 2024, and .301 with a .533 SLG last season.

Compare that to a .232 average and .373 SLG against breaking balls in 2025, and a .227 average and .333 against off-speed offerings in 2025, and you can see why opposing pitchers want to limit his exposure to fastballs.

However, Elly walks at an above-average clip, with a 9.6% BB rate on his ledger in 2025. If opposing teams mess around with the soft stuff too much, they risk simply putting him on base for Suarez. That would prove to be a grave mistake.

The veteran thumper posted a .240/.317/.547 line with men on base last season versus a .219/.283/.509 mark with the bases empty. The power is there regardless, but with runners on base, his ISO rose to a ridiculous .307. That's no fluke, either. For his career, Suarez has an .838 OPS with runners on against a .754 mark with no one on.

If one of the Reds' young right-handed bats can emerge as a legitimate option to bat in front of De La Cruz, he'll be even further protected from the lefties that can occasionally cause him problems.

Then, with Suarez providing protection, teams will have no choice but to pitch to De La Cruz in ways and with matchups that are advantageous for him, allowing his electric talent to shine through even more. With his power-speed combo, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the ascending talent end up firmly in the MVP discussion at season's end.

As you can see, adding Suarez is about much more than simply adding a slugger to the lineup. His presence will make everyone better as a result, and when we're talking about a dynamic talent like De La Cruz, that boost could be incredibly impactful.