Carlos De La Cruz

De La Cruz is a very big man, listed at 6-foot-8. He has the scouting report you'd expect for a very big man: his long limbs generate plenty of power but also lead to plenty of strikeouts. Which ends up winning out in the long run for the 24-year-old outfielder remains unclear, but his 2023 campaign did represent a step in the right direction. He did strike out 27.5% of the time in 129 games for Double-A Reading, but that was far better than his career 33.3% mark as a professional prior to that point. He also showed the ability to take a walk (9.5 BB%) and cleared the fence 24 times, helping him to a .259/.344/.454 slash line. De La Cruz isn't a poor defender and even made 13 of his starts in center field last season, so the pressure on his bat isn't as high as it might be. If De La Cruz can keep his strikeouts to a respectable level upon his move to Triple-A this season, a big-league debut isn't out of the question, but healthy skepticism is nonetheless still warranted about his ability to keep his long levers in check. Read Past Outlooks