The Cincinnati Reds won’t have many rookies on their Opening Day roster, but the organization caught a glimpse of the future throughout the spring.
Elly De La Cruz showed he can do things nobody else can do, particularly the way he runs the bases. Christian Encarnacion-Strand impressed with his power to all fields. Matt McLain showed he’s not far from the big leagues with the way he crushes fastballs.
Then there is the energy from guys who are even further away from the majors. Last week infield prospect Carlos Jorge, who spent last year in rookie ball, helped jumpstart a four-run rally in the ninth inning for a spring training comeback win by beating out an infield single with a headfirst slide into first base.
“That’s how they play,” said Shawn Pender, the Reds’ farm director. “That’s just who they are. I know we say this all the time, but that’s something you scout and sign, not something you teach. When you have guys like that around, it makes the other guys see and feel that energy too."
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