Top-Ranked Reds Prospect Earns Big Promotion After Hot Start

The Cincinnati Reds' farm system probably ranks somewhere in the middle of the pack in MLB at this point, but there are some top prospects that Reds fans have every reason to be excited about.

One of those is shortstop Elly De La Cruz, and that's what makes news of his promotion so exciting.

De La Cruz was playing in the Futures Game during All-Star Weekend, and it's clear why he earned that honor. The switch-hitter is slashing .302/.359/.609 on the season, racking up 20 home runs, 53 runs, 52 RBI and 28 stolen bases.

Producing at such an absurd level, there's no reason to keep having him sandbag it in High-A, so he'll now get his chance at the Double-A level with the Chattanooga Lookouts.

MLB.com has De La Cruz ranked as the Reds' No. 2 prospect behind Nick Lodolo, who made the Reds' Opening Day roster this year. As the top-ranked player in their Minor League system, all eyes will be on De La Cruz and whether he can continue to flash his impressive power-speed combo against tougher competition.

Watching future stars will bring some optimism for Reds fans, as Cincinnati has a win total over/under for the season set at 65.5 in FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds.

Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.