Elly De La Cruz throws out Javier Baez with mind-boggling 98 mph throw

Someone get Jose Trevino some ice after catching the latest ball to come out of Elly De La Cruz’s flamethrower.De La Cruz cut down a run at home plate with a 98.3 mph relay throw Saturday in the Reds’ 11-1 victory against the Tigers.Javier Baez was on first base when Trey Sweeney drove a one-hopper off the right field wall when the game was still scoreless in the third inning.Jake Fraley perfectly played the carom and fed the ball to De La Cruz on the outfield grass behind second base.De La Cruz fired home before a sliding Baez had even entered the television picture, and the former Yankee Trevino applied the tag.Throws worthy of speeding tickets are nothing new to De La Cruz, who is responsible for four of the five hardest-thrown infield assists in the Statcast era (since 2015), according to MLB.com.

De La Cruz’s previous three fastballs all happened when he burst onto the scene as a rookie during the 2023 season, including a 99.8 mph throw on July 20.The only other comparable throw by a major leaguer in the last 10 years was by Gabriel Arias of the Guardians on May 28, 2024.De La Cruz wasn’t done showing off. The phenom also homered for the third straight game to up his team-high season total to 15.That ball jumped off his bat at 110.1 mph and traveled 402 feet.De La Cruz is known for having one of the strongest arms in baseball.

Even rapper Snoop Dogg was left shocked when he was on the broadcast for a Reds-Brewers game last June.“Oh, he’s safe, he can’t throw that.He ain’t got no arm like that.

No, he don’t!” Snoop said as De La Cruz ranged to his right to make a play and then lasered the ball across the diamond, “Who is that with that rocket? Oh lord, he got a rocket in his pocket.Oh, he made that.”...