Name: Carlos De La Cruz
Position: 1B/OF
Born: October 6, 1999
Country: US
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6’8″ 210lbs
How Acquired: Non-Drafted Free Agent
Signed: August 23, 2017
Bonus:
Options Remaining: 3
Rule 5 Eligible: 2021
MiLB Free Agency: 2024
Stats
Hitter Statcast
*Statcast data only available for FSL (2021-2023), AAA (2023), and isolated select games and locations.
| Year | Balls in Play | Average EV | 90th Percentile EV | Max EV | Median Launch Angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55 | 88.3 | 105.0 | 111.7 | 14 |
Prospect Rankings
Role: Second Division Regular
Risk: Medium – There is such a wide range of outcomes for De La Cruz because he is such a unique player. He is probably trending towards more of a bench role, but he still has the upside to be an impact hitter. He keeps slowly cutting down on his swing and miss, but there is only so much that a 6’8” hitter can do.
Summary: It has been a slow burn for De La Cruz who has had his downs over the years, but he broke out in 2022 and had a solid consolidation year in 2023. With Rhys Hoskins’ future in doubt heading into the year, De La Cruz also picked up the ability to play first base this season, and while fine there, it is likely to be more of a flexibility than a path to the majors now that Bryce Harper is installed there. He will run around in center field, but it is probably not something that should be done often. He moves well enough that he is a good defender in both outfield corners, and he has a strong arm as well. De La Cruz has an enormous strike zone and is susceptible to pitches on the inside, which has led to him running reverse platoon splits as lefties can just pound him inside. His size also leaves him struggling at times with fastballs, just because his arms are so long making his swing on the long side. His length does mean he excels at just reaching down and golfing breaking balls out. Like many long armed hitters, he also looks to and excels at hitting balls on the outer half of the zone. De La Cruz did hit a number of his home runs at home, but he has plus plus raw power and his home runs would easily clear any ballpark. The real key will be the contact and if he can make enough of it in the zone. The Phillies have worked on getting him better vs fastballs, and he has been walking more and bringing his strikeouts down at every level. His season is also harmed by a real cold end, as he was hitting .287/.359/.488 through the end of July before struggling down the stretch hitting .182/.304/.352 over the last month and a half. Even if he makes the majors in the next few years, De La Cruz could be someone that does not fully hit his ceiling until his late 20s.
2024 Outlook: De La Cruz has 167 games in AA, and the Phillies current right handed hitting outfielders in front of him are Weston Wilson and Matt Kroon, so there is a spot and path for him in AAA. De La Cruz will be a minor league free agent after the season, so the Phillies will need to add him to the 40 man roster or trade him right after the end of the season if they don’t want to lose him for nothing.
Role: The Tallest Man On Your Major League Baseball Team
Risk: High – He probably won’t make enough contact to be on a major league baseball team, but if he does things get really interesting. The actual range of major league outcomes here is from “he is some sort of bench player who hits a big home run that you remember” to “he becomes a middle of the order, All-Star level slugger”.
Summary: Carlos De La Cruz is one of the more fascinating prospects the Phillies have had. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of high school off of a New York City travel team, De La Cruz showed intriguing skills in 2018 and 2019, but it was widely acknowledged that he still had a lot of development to go. Then the pandemic hit, and De La Cruz was in New York City under lockdowns turning a lost year into a complete disaster. His 2021 season looked like a player who spent most of the last year unable to do anything. The Phillies even left him exposed to the minor league Rule 5 draft after the season. He looked like the old De La Cruz in 2022. He had to earn his playing time as he rebuilt his prospect stature, and went from one of the BlueClaws’ best players to a promotion to Reading and then a trip to the Arizona Fall League.
The player is even more fascinating than the story. De La Cruz is listed at a very lanky 6’8”, and he has filled that out since signing, but he also is likely taller than his listed height. He is a plus runner, who right now can show you a competent center field. He primarily has played the corners, but the Phillies have also worked him in at first base which opens up some long term flexibility, and if he makes it work, a very large target for throws. At the plate, De La Cruz looks like he is swinging a novelty bat and has great bat speed, and when combined with his long levers he has plus plus raw power. Those long levers do lead to a lot of swing and miss. His pitch recognition and approach are improving, but they are still well below major league caliber. Given his raw power, you probably want him elevating the ball a bit more, but that likely will improve as he swings at better pitches.
The most likely outcome is that De La Cruz stalls out in AA or AAA, unable to make enough contact for a major league role. Maybe he makes just enough contact that he is sort of a 5th/OFer who can play first in a pinch who hits the occasional big home run. However, the underlying skills and athleticism means that any hit tool improvements are going to be magnified. It is a very low chance he becomes a star, but that 99th percentile outcome might be that he is a superstar.
2023 Outlook: De La Cruz will likely go to Reading, where he should get plenty of at bats in a favorable ballpark. He is a minor league free agent after the season, so a stumble could see him embark on a team to team odyssey of organizations trying to unlock him, but a good year could force the Phillies’ hand to put him on the 40 man roster and figure out if he has a future role in the org.
De La Cruz is still long and lanky, and hits the ball very hard. He has not improved his contact abilities, and while he was especially hit hard by the pandemic lost year, he is no longer young enough where he has time to make up for what was lost. The Phillies left him exposed in the minor league Rule 5 draft, showing how much he has slid.
Not quite the complex level of player, Carlos De La Cruz might be that raw. A 6’8” twig of an outfielder, De La Cruz might already have plus plus raw power and is athletic enough that he might be able to play some center field as he will flash plus speed. He really needed the year of development, but was in New York when the pandemic accelerated and did all of his dev away from the Phillies this year.
Role: Average Regular
Risk: Extreme – De La Cruz is all projection, and right now lacks substance. His hit tool could fail to materialize, he could fail to ever tap into his raw power, or he could just continue growing too tall to ever hit a baseball, the possibilities are near limitless.
Summary: Some players are raw because they have little high level baseball experience, and some are still learning how to play baseball with a new set of physical tools. Then there is De La Cruz, who has the physical build of a baby giraffe and only slightly more baseball experience. He is listed at 6’8”, but might be taller, and is extremely lanky. He shows at minimum plus raw power, but it is easy to see him having 70 to 80 grade power at full maturity. His hit tool is still well below average due to the natural holes inherent to such long arms, as well as pitch recognition still in early stages of development. He has enough bat speed to make contact in the long run, but he is probably never going to be a high batting average hitter. De La Cruz has a plus arm, ideal for right field. The Phillies have played him in all three outfield positions, and he is currently a good runner, making him currently, and possibly futurely, playable in center field. De La Cruz has some of the loudest tools and highest upside of any Phillies prospect, but there is a reason he stands out on a field, and it is because players like him rarely have success in the majors due to the problems that come with just being that tall.
2020 Outlook: The Phillies could have De La Cruz repeat Lakewood, or they could send him to Clearwater. The reports on his tools were better than his results, so a good spring could make the aggressive assignment more appealing.
Role: Second Division Regular
Risk: Medium – There is such a wide range of outcomes for De La Cruz because he is such a unique player. He is probably trending towards more of a bench role, but he still has the upside to be an impact hitter. He keeps slowly cutting down on his swing and miss, but there is only so much that a 6’8” hitter can do.
Summary: It has been a slow burn for De La Cruz who has had his downs over the years, but he broke out in 2022 and had a solid consolidation year in 2023. With Rhys Hoskins’ future in doubt heading into the year, De La Cruz also picked up the ability to play first base this season, and while fine there, it is likely to be more of a flexibility than a path to the majors now that Bryce Harper is installed there. He will run around in center field, but it is probably not something that should be done often. He moves well enough that he is a good defender in both outfield corners, and he has a strong arm as well. De La Cruz has an enormous strike zone and is susceptible to pitches on the inside, which has led to him running reverse platoon splits as lefties can just pound him inside. His size also leaves him struggling at times with fastballs, just because his arms are so long making his swing on the long side. His length does mean he excels at just reaching down and golfing breaking balls out. Like many long armed hitters, he also looks to and excels at hitting balls on the outer half of the zone. De La Cruz did hit a number of his home runs at home, but he has plus plus raw power and his home runs would easily clear any ballpark. The real key will be the contact and if he can make enough of it in the zone. The Phillies have worked on getting him better vs fastballs, and he has been walking more and bringing his strikeouts down at every level. His season is also harmed by a real cold end, as he was hitting .287/.359/.488 through the end of July before struggling down the stretch hitting .182/.304/.352 over the last month and a half. Even if he makes the majors in the next few years, De La Cruz could be someone that does not fully hit his ceiling until his late 20s.
2024 Outlook: De La Cruz has 167 games in AA, and the Phillies current right handed hitting outfielders in front of him are Weston Wilson and Matt Kroon, so there is a spot and path for him in AAA. De La Cruz will be a minor league free agent after the season, so the Phillies will need to add him to the 40 man roster or trade him right after the end of the season if they don’t want to lose him for nothing.
Role: The Tallest Man On Your Major League Baseball Team
Risk: High – He probably won’t make enough contact to be on a major league baseball team, but if he does things get really interesting. The actual range of major league outcomes here is from “he is some sort of bench player who hits a big home run that you remember” to “he becomes a middle of the order, All-Star level slugger”.
Summary: Carlos De La Cruz is one of the more fascinating prospects the Phillies have had. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of high school off of a New York City travel team, De La Cruz showed intriguing skills in 2018 and 2019, but it was widely acknowledged that he still had a lot of development to go. Then the pandemic hit, and De La Cruz was in New York City under lockdowns turning a lost year into a complete disaster. His 2021 season looked like a player who spent most of the last year unable to do anything. The Phillies even left him exposed to the minor league Rule 5 draft after the season. He looked like the old De La Cruz in 2022. He had to earn his playing time as he rebuilt his prospect stature, and went from one of the BlueClaws’ best players to a promotion to Reading and then a trip to the Arizona Fall League.
The player is even more fascinating than the story. De La Cruz is listed at a very lanky 6’8”, and he has filled that out since signing, but he also is likely taller than his listed height. He is a plus runner, who right now can show you a competent center field. He primarily has played the corners, but the Phillies have also worked him in at first base which opens up some long term flexibility, and if he makes it work, a very large target for throws. At the plate, De La Cruz looks like he is swinging a novelty bat and has great bat speed, and when combined with his long levers he has plus plus raw power. Those long levers do lead to a lot of swing and miss. His pitch recognition and approach are improving, but they are still well below major league caliber. Given his raw power, you probably want him elevating the ball a bit more, but that likely will improve as he swings at better pitches.
The most likely outcome is that De La Cruz stalls out in AA or AAA, unable to make enough contact for a major league role. Maybe he makes just enough contact that he is sort of a 5th/OFer who can play first in a pinch who hits the occasional big home run. However, the underlying skills and athleticism means that any hit tool improvements are going to be magnified. It is a very low chance he becomes a star, but that 99th percentile outcome might be that he is a superstar.
2023 Outlook: De La Cruz will likely go to Reading, where he should get plenty of at bats in a favorable ballpark. He is a minor league free agent after the season, so a stumble could see him embark on a team to team odyssey of organizations trying to unlock him, but a good year could force the Phillies’ hand to put him on the 40 man roster and figure out if he has a future role in the org.
De La Cruz is still long and lanky, and hits the ball very hard. He has not improved his contact abilities, and while he was especially hit hard by the pandemic lost year, he is no longer young enough where he has time to make up for what was lost. The Phillies left him exposed in the minor league Rule 5 draft, showing how much he has slid.
Not quite the complex level of player, Carlos De La Cruz might be that raw. A 6’8” twig of an outfielder, De La Cruz might already have plus plus raw power and is athletic enough that he might be able to play some center field as he will flash plus speed. He really needed the year of development, but was in New York when the pandemic accelerated and did all of his dev away from the Phillies this year.
Role: Average Regular
Risk: Extreme – De La Cruz is all projection, and right now lacks substance. His hit tool could fail to materialize, he could fail to ever tap into his raw power, or he could just continue growing too tall to ever hit a baseball, the possibilities are near limitless.
Summary: Some players are raw because they have little high level baseball experience, and some are still learning how to play baseball with a new set of physical tools. Then there is De La Cruz, who has the physical build of a baby giraffe and only slightly more baseball experience. He is listed at 6’8”, but might be taller, and is extremely lanky. He shows at minimum plus raw power, but it is easy to see him having 70 to 80 grade power at full maturity. His hit tool is still well below average due to the natural holes inherent to such long arms, as well as pitch recognition still in early stages of development. He has enough bat speed to make contact in the long run, but he is probably never going to be a high batting average hitter. De La Cruz has a plus arm, ideal for right field. The Phillies have played him in all three outfield positions, and he is currently a good runner, making him currently, and possibly futurely, playable in center field. De La Cruz has some of the loudest tools and highest upside of any Phillies prospect, but there is a reason he stands out on a field, and it is because players like him rarely have success in the majors due to the problems that come with just being that tall.
2020 Outlook: The Phillies could have De La Cruz repeat Lakewood, or they could send him to Clearwater. The reports on his tools were better than his results, so a good spring could make the aggressive assignment more appealing.
Video/Twitter