Elly De La Cruz: Twin, Sister’s Death, Contract & Stats

There’s a moment when a young athlete stops being just a prospect and becomes something more—a face of a franchise, a symbol of a city’s hopes, a story that fans follow beyond the box score. For Elly De La Cruz, that moment arrived faster than anyone expected, bringing with it personal tragedy, historic contract decisions, and a quiet emergence as a bilingual leader in a clubhouse that’s watching him grow in real time. Here’s what you need to know about the 24-year-old Cincinnati Reds shortstop who’s already lived a career’s worth of highs and lows in just two MLB seasons.

Full name: Elly Antonio De La Cruz · Birthdate: January 11, 2002 · Height / weight: 6’6″, 200 lbs · Team: Cincinnati Reds (#44) · Position: Shortstop / Third baseman · Bats / throws: Both / Right

Nine facts that define the player at a glance:

Is Elly De La Cruz in a relationship?

Signs point to yes, though De La Cruz has kept his personal life relatively private. The strongest public signal came in early 2025 when he posted a romantic compliment to Raye Webb on social media, a gesture that fans and local media interpreted as confirmation that Webb is his girlfriend. No formal statement from either party has been issued, but the indirect acknowledgment is consistent with how other MLB players navigate public relationships.

The implication: De La Cruz appears to be in a relationship, but he’s maintaining the same privacy boundaries he applies to family matters—sharing just enough for fans to know, not enough for tabloid scrutiny.

Who is Raye Webb?

• Raye Webb is publicly known as De La Cruz’s girlfriend following his social media post (Instagram via indirect confirmation)

Webb has not given interviews about the relationship, and De La Cruz has not addressed it directly in press conferences. The couple’s visibility remains low, which aligns with the shortstop’s stated preference for keeping family matters off the record.

What happened to Elly De La Cruz’s sister?

On Saturday, May 31, 2025, De La Cruz learned that his older sister, Genelis De La Cruz Sanchez, had died after an extended period of health issues, according to MLB.com (official league news desk). The news came while the Reds were in Chicago to face the Cubs.

On June 1, 2025—just 24 hours after receiving the news—De La Cruz played against the Cubs. He hit a home run, then pointed to the sky and formed a heart with his hands in tribute, as reported by Yahoo Sports (MLB affiliate). He did not speak to reporters before or after the game, requesting privacy, a decision confirmed by both MLB.com and NBC News (national news outlet).

De La Cruz left the team after the Wednesday afternoon game to grieve with family in the Dominican Republic, according to a Cincinnati Enquirer (local newspaper of record) report.

Did Elly De La Cruz lose his sister?

• His sister Genelis De La Cruz Sanchez passed away in May 2025 after health issues (MLB.com)
• He honored her with a home run against the Cubs on June 1, 2025 (Yahoo Sports)

The pattern: Public tribute and private grief defined De La Cruz’s response to personal loss.

Does Elly De La Cruz have a twin?

Yes. De La Cruz has a twin brother named Pedro De La Cruz, as confirmed by multiple team sources and biographical data from MLB.com (official league database). They are not identical twins—a point of distinction that occasionally confuses fans who see “twin brother” and assume a mirror image.

Is Elly De La Cruz an identical twin?

• He has a twin brother named Pedro (MLB.com)
• They are not identical twins (MLB.com)

Pedro is not a public figure and has not been reported as playing professional baseball. Elly has rarely discussed his twin in interviews, consistent with his broader approach to keeping family life separate from his public persona.

How much does Elly De La Cruz make?

As of the 2026 season, De La Cruz is in his pre-arbitration years, meaning his salary is set by the MLB collective bargaining agreement rather than negotiation. According to Spotrac (salary tracking database), his 2026 base salary and cap hit are consistent with pre-arbitration league minimums—a fraction of what he could command if he reaches free agency.

The real story, however, is the money he turned down.

Why did Elly De La Cruz turn down their contract?

• He turned down the largest contract offer in Reds history (The Athletic)
• Spotrac data shows salary and cap hit for 2026 (Spotrac)

In January 2026, Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall revealed that the team had offered De La Cruz an extension that would have surpassed Joey Votto’s 10-year, $225 million franchise record, according to The Athletic (sports journalism arm of the New York Times). Krall said the offer would have made De La Cruz the highest-paid player in Reds history. De La Cruz declined.

Asked about the offer at Redsfest, De La Cruz replied, “I let my agent take care of all of that,” as quoted by MLB.com and confirmed by Sports Illustrated (Reds affiliate).

The pattern: De La Cruz is betting that his value will only increase—a gamble that, at 24 with two seasons of electric but inconsistent production, carries real risk for both sides.

Does Elly De La Cruz speak English?

Yes, and he’s increasingly confident in it. De La Cruz conducted his first entire press conference in English during the 2025 season, a milestone that drew notice from teammates and beat reporters. According to MLB.com (official league news desk), he is bilingual, speaking both Spanish and English.

When did Elly De La Cruz give his first English press conference?

• He spoke English during an entire press conference for the first time in 2025 (MLB.com)
• He is bilingual (ESPN)

The shift is significant for a franchise that markets heavily to Cincinnati’s growing Latino community and for a player who, as a face of the Reds, must navigate both English and Spanish media markets. It also signals comfort that may have been developing behind the scenes for years.

Why did Elly De La Cruz apologize?

In a moment that endeared him to fans, De La Cruz apologized after a game for forgetting the score. He admitted the lapse with characteristic candor, and the incident was covered by MLB.com (official league news desk), which framed the apology as a sign of his accountability.

What did Elly De La Cruz forget?

• He apologized for forgetting the score during a game (MLB.com)
• MLB.com covered his apology (MLB.com)

The apology became a minor viral moment, not because of the mistake itself, but because of how De La Cruz handled it—no excuse, no deflection, just a straightforward “my bad” that resonated with a fanbase tired of polished athlete non-apologies.

Timeline signal

Confirmed facts

• His sister Genelis passed away in May 2025 and he honored her with a home run against the Cubs (MLB.com, Yahoo Sports)
• He turned down a contract offer reported as largest in Reds history (The Athletic)

What’s unclear

• Exact terms of the rejected contract offer (no public figures) (The Athletic)
• Whether he is currently in a relationship (only indirect compliments to Raye Webb) (Instagram)
• He has a twin brother named Pedro (non-identical) (MLB.com)
• He speaks English and gave a full press conference in English (MLB.com)

“I let my agent take care of all of that.”

— Elly De La Cruz, on the rejected Reds contract offer, as quoted by Sports Illustrated (Reds affiliate)

“He homered, pointed to the sky, and made a heart gesture—then asked for privacy.”

— MLB.com report on June 1, 2025 tribute (MLB.com)

Summary

Elly De La Cruz is a 24-year-old shortstop with a twin brother, a sister he lost too soon, a girlfriend he half-acknowledges, an English press conference he earned, and a contract offer he walked away from. For Reds fans watching from Cincinnati, the choice is clear: watch him grow into the player he’s betting he’ll become, or watch him become it somewhere else.

Related reading: Elly De La Cruz honors sister with home run · Reds star Elly De La Cruz rejects record contract extension

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