The pitch came in at 90 mph. Elly De La Cruz did not try to guide it. He did not shorten his swing. He turned on it and the ball left the bat at 104.9 mph.
This is the De La Cruz experience. Aggression without apology.
The 24 year old shortstop entered May hitting .265 with 10 home runs and eight stolen bases across 31 games. The power jump is real. His ISO sits at .245 after a .176 mark in 2025. But the mental adjustment behind those numbers matters more than any bat speed.
The freedom of high variance hitting
De La Cruz plays with what sports psychologists call acceptance of volatility. He knows he will strike out. He knows he will chase. But he refuses to let the fear of failure shrink his swing.
This season his chase rate dropped. He swings less overall but hits harder when he connects. His whiff rate improved without sacrificing exit velocity.
The numbers back the mindset. De La Cruz ranks near the top of the league in average exit velocity, max exit velocity, hard hit rate, and barrel rate. He also ranks fourth among shortstops with 4 Outs Above Average. He is not just swinging hard. He is playing complete baseball.
How aggression becomes control
Elly De La Cruz aggressive approach works because he backs it with preparation. He studies opposing pitchers without overthinking. Once the at bat starts, the research stops.
On May 6, he drove in three runs without recording a hit. He hit a sacrifice fly with an exit velocity of 98.6 mph and a launch angle of 25 degrees. That is controlled aggression. That is knowing where the barrel will go before the pitch arrives.
He leads all shortstops in WAR with a 1.9 mark. His .565 slugging percentage ranks among the best at his position.
A lesson in trusting yourself
Do not shrink your swing because you are afraid of missing. The great hitters fail 7 out of 10 times. They fail fast, learn fast, and swing just as hard next time.
Pick one swing. Your swing. Not the safe version. Not the version your coach wants. The one that feels like you.
I tried this in my beer league game last week. I struck out looking because I overthought it. The swing never came.
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