Eli De La Cruz will use Juan Soto's advice for 2024

The young Reds player took advantage of the winter to train with his compatriot, who is considered one of the best hitters in the major leagues.

The relationship between Juan Soto And Eli de la Cruz It is much deeper than one might initially think. They both have known each other for several years because they had the opportunity to prepare in the same academy which eventually led them to land their first contract in MLB. Plus, though Soto He did not play in Dominican winter football, and they both belong to the same team. Lacey Tigers.

For this reason, though, it surprised many to see a photo of both players making out during a match NFLFor them, it was just an opportunity to share with an old teammate, which lasted for part of the offseason, he recently pointed out. Eli de la Cruz According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

Both players trained together over the winter and for a starting player who, in year one, despite showing the myriad of tools that make him a great player, had problems with his hitting, taking advice from one of the best players. Strike zone experts in Big leaguesIt's an invaluable experience.

“The biggest thing we've been working on is just hitting the tee and hitting the opposite field.“, pointed to pass This week, according to Sheldon. This work is not part of the training program Cincinnati Reds For the player, it did not go unnoticed by the team and, indeed, at least by the manager. David BellHe sees it as a great opportunity for the Dominican.

“I do not know him (Juan Soto)But I felt good about it, because that equals equality and those types of relationships can only go so far. People you respect and can learn from. clearly, (Soto) He was a great player and still very young“, pointed out bell.

From the cross He finished his first year in MLB With 98 games played, he hit a .235 average with a .710 OPS, 13 home runs and 44 RBIs, and 67 runs scored. However, he had 144 strikeouts in just 35 swings, so he has a lot of work to do to improve on many of those numbers.