The 2025 MLB All-Star game, scheduled for July 15, will have its lineups announced on July 6. Although starting the season off slowly, Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds is making a strong case to be included.
There are a couple of facets of his game that are holding De La Cruz back, however, and other players who are also having great seasons. With these factors in play, does he still deserve a spot?
Here’s a look at why De La Cruz deserves to be a 2025 MLB All-Star and how he is distinguishing himself from his competition.
De La Cruz is among the top batters in numerous statistics. He’s 13th in the MLB in home runs (16), 10th in RBIs (50), and sixth in stolen bases (20). He is also tied for the second-most extra-base hits (30) of any shortstop.
When looking at all SS in the MLB, De La Cruz is first in home runs and RBIs, second in stolen bases, tied for fourth in walks (32), and seventh in hits (75). Aside from leading in multiple categories, he’s near the top of almost every batting statistic for players at his position.
What matters, however, is how he stacks up against the players at his position within his league. It’s those players that are threatening to keep him out of the All-Star Game, after all.
Within the National League, De La Cruz is establishing himself as one of the best hitters, period, regardless of position. He currently has the ninth most homers in the National League, the seventh most RBIs, the fifth-highest batting average (.273), and the third most stolen bases.
When it comes to SS in the National League, De La Cruz stands even higher. Among National League players at the position, he is currently first in homers, RBIs, and stolen bases, and third in hits, with the fifth-highest batting average.
His two biggest competitors for the spot are Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets and Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, when comparing the three players’ numbers, one stands above the others.
Of the three players, De La Cruz has the most doubles, home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases. Lindor has the most hits (78) and the highest batting average (.279). Betts has the most walks (33) and the highest fielding percentage (.987).
Despite Lindor and Betts performing better in these areas, De La Cruz is right on their tail in almost all of them. Lindor only has three more hits than De La Cruz, and his average is higher, but only by 0.006. Betts may currently be leading in walks, but De La Cruz only has one fewer, so that could change by the end of the week.
The one stat that De La Cruz falls further behind in, though, may just prove to be the aspect of his game that prevents him from being named an all-star.
When it comes to defense, De La Cruz falls behind not just Lindor and Betts, but all of MLB. He’s 25th at his position in fielding percentage (.955) and tied for the most errors (11) at any position.
While De La Cruz continues to get better behind the plate, his struggles on the other side of it also continue. When trying to determine who is the absolute best at the position, differences like these need to be considered.
Even with his struggles, though, he’s still 10th in assists and fifth in double plays within the National League. He’s by no means a bad defensive player, but when looking at the rest of his game, the contrast is stark.
De La Cruz also tends to strike out a lot. With 81 strikeouts through 72 games, he has the fourth most among MLB shortstops, the 12th most in the league overall, and has now officially surpassed Tony Gwynn’s career strikeout total of 434. While he is still largely spectacular behind the plate, these do stand out as a weak point of his game.
Despite his fielding deficiencies, De La Cruz is still one of the best at his position and one of the most exciting hitters in the entire league. He leads the National League SS in almost every stat behind the plate, even with striking out significantly more than most other players at any position.
De La Cruz falls short on the defensive end, but what he’s doing with a bat is special. Omitting him from a game showcasing the sport’s best players, with the season he’s putting together, would be a disservice to him, the fans, and the game of baseball.
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