Elly De La Cruz's leg kick tells a story

Reds shortstop embracing power with return to aggressive swing mechanics

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz is bringing back his signature leg kick full-time in 2026, signaling a return to a more aggressive, power-focused approach at the plate. After experimenting with a toe tap in 2025 to improve his plate discipline, De La Cruz is now embracing the leg kick that helped him become an All-Star in 2024, when he posted an .809 OPS and finished eighth in NL MVP voting.

Why it matters

De La Cruz's swing mechanics tell the story of his development as a hitter. The leg kick allows him to tap into his elite raw power, but it also led to more strikeouts early in his career. The Reds' coaching staff believes the ideal version of De La Cruz combines the aggression of the leg kick with the improved plate discipline he showed during his toe tap experiment.

The details

De La Cruz immediately made a splash in the big leagues in 2023 with his mighty leg kick generating elite raw power. But pitchers adjusted, and his strikeout rate climbed. In 2024, he used the leg kick again and made the All-Star team, but also led MLB with 218 strikeouts. In 2025, he ditched the leg kick for a toe tap, which helped him improve his batting average and cut down on strikeouts, but zapped some of his power. After a tough second half in 2025, De La Cruz went back to the leg kick late in the season and finished strong.

  • In 2023, De La Cruz immediately made a huge splash in the big leagues with his leg kick.
  • In 2024, De La Cruz posted an .809 OPS and finished eighth in NL MVP voting using the leg kick.
  • In 2025, De La Cruz experimented with a toe tap to improve his plate discipline.
  • Between July 1 and Sept. 14, 2025, De La Cruz posted a .645 OPS with one total homer.
  • Between Sept. 15 and the end of the 2025 season, De La Cruz posted a .939 OPS with three homers after going back to the leg kick.

The players

Elly De La Cruz

A 24-year-old shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds who is embracing a more aggressive, power-focused approach at the plate in 2026 by bringing back his signature leg kick.

Nick Krall

The general manager of the Cincinnati Reds who believes De La Cruz has the potential to hit 30 homers and steal 50 bases if he can tap into his power while maintaining his improved plate discipline.

Chris Valaika

The hitting coach for the Cincinnati Reds who has worked closely with De La Cruz on finding the right balance between aggression and discipline in his swing mechanics.

Terry Francona

The manager of the Cincinnati Reds who has emphasized the importance of De La Cruz controlling his body and core to maximize the benefits of his leg kick.

Eugenio Suárez

The power-hitting third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds who will bat behind De La Cruz in the lineup, potentially giving the young shortstop more opportunities to do damage as pitchers try to avoid putting him on base.

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What they’re saying

“He has a chance to hit 30 homers and steal 50 bags. If he can mash in the zone and not chase... he'll be an elite player.”

— Nick Krall, General Manager, Cincinnati Reds (substack.com)

“Last year, the hybrid toe tap helped him slow things down and see the ball better. Did it take away some of the aggressiveness? There's probably an argument to that. At the end of the season, going back to (the leg kick), he feels more comfortable with that. If we can tap into his athleticism with it, we'll see what it looks like.”

— Chris Valaika, Hitting Coach, Cincinnati Reds (substack.com)

“The conversations we've had are about looking to do damage — always. Controlling the strike zone. But especially now with (Eugenio Suárez) here, teams are going to have to make a decision about who they'll have to come after. When (De La Cruz) is on base, that's even more of a threat.”

— Chris Valaika, Hitting Coach, Cincinnati Reds (substack.com)

“We all want guys to be as dangerous as possible. Things go hand in hand. If you're swinging at good pitches, you're going to be more dangerous. How do you swing at good pitches? You have to get a good look at the ball.”

— Terry Francona, Manager, Cincinnati Reds (substack.com)

“Keeping his center of gravity and his core in one place (is key). If he's able to do that with a leg kick, great. He's so long levered. When he starts getting in front, it gets longer and makes it harder.”

— Terry Francona, Manager, Cincinnati Reds (substack.com)

What’s next

The Reds are confident that De La Cruz will be better in 2026 than he was in 2025, as he continues to develop and improve. The addition of the automated ball-strike challenge system should also help him by reducing the number of strikes wrongly called on his long frame.

The takeaway

Elly De La Cruz's swing mechanics tell the story of his development as a hitter, and his decision to embrace the leg kick again in 2026 signals a return to a more aggressive, power-focused approach. The Reds believe this version of De La Cruz, combined with his improved plate discipline, can make him an elite player capable of 30 homers and 50 steals.