PHILADELPHIA -- For a while, it appeared that shortstop Elly De La Cruz would be the Reds' lone representative for the 2025 All-Star Game. On Tuesday, De La Cruz received company when starting pitcher Andrew Abbott was added as a replacement.
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A third-year big league player who is already one of the Majors’ more exciting stars to watch on the field, De La Cruz was selected to the National League squad via the players' ballot on Sunday night, while the Mets' Francisco Lindor will start at shortstop after his selection by fan balloting.
"I think everybody in this game wants to go to the All-Star Game, so it means a lot to me," De La Cruz said after a 3-1 Reds loss to the Phillies on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.
The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 15 at Truist Park, the home of the Braves.
Now a two-time All-Star at only 23 years old, De La Cruz is batting .275 with an .830 OPS, 18 home runs, 60 RBIs and 22 stolen bases while appearing in all 92 Reds games this season. He leads or is tied for the lead among all qualified shortstops in homers, runs (68) and RBIs.
“I’m playing every day. I am really good with that and controlling what I can control," De La Cruz said.
De La Cruz had a relatively quiet first six weeks of 2025, but he leveled up his production as the Reds also found their groove. Since May 19, De La Cruz is slashing .307/.382/.566 with 10 homers over his last 44 games. That included four straight games with a home run from June 11-15.
It's helped the Reds (46-46) get into contention for an NL postseason berth.
The stretch of success didn't come without adversity. For part of May, De La Cruz played through a sore hamstring without missing a game. On May 31, he learned of the death of his older sister, Genelis De La Cruz Sanchez, but he still played the next game against the Cubs on June 1 and hit a home run in her honor.
“Everything he kind of told me this winter -- when I say that he’s not a big talker -- but he told me what he wanted to be and how he wanted to get there," manager Terry Francona said. "He’s doing that. He’s growing up. One of the things he has to battle is everybody is always talking about his ceiling. I just want to kind of impress upon him that if we see it within the confines of the game, it’s really going to be special. I think he’s doing a really good job of that.”
A first time All-Star in 2024, De La Cruz batted .259 with an .810 OPS, 25 homers, 76 RBIs and a Major League-leading 67 stolen bases over 160 games last season. After last year's All-Star trip to Texas, De La Cruz is looking forward to doing it all again in Atlanta.
“I just want to have fun and meet the players," De La Cruz said. “It was awesome, a good experience.”