Brian Howard expressed pessimism regarding the Cincinnati Reds' ability to retain budding superstar Elly De La Cruz after seeing Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s $500 million contract with Toronto. Howard stated confidently that if Guerrero commands that salary, De La Cruz will certainly expect an even greater payday, something the smaller-market Reds will be unable to match. Consequently, Howard advised fans (and bettors) to appreciate De La Cruz while he's still a Red, strongly implying future departure to a team willing to pay astronomically for his talent.

Chris Welsh definitively preferred Elly De La Cruz over Yordan Alvarez in a trade scenario, particularly emphasizing De La Cruz's roto-category upside. Noting Alvarez's slower-than-desired start this season, Welsh stated that he would easily take De La Cruz's blend of speed and power, which significantly elevates his value in roto leagues compared to Alvarez's skillset.

Vaughn Dalzell identified Reds star Elly De La Cruz as a top breakout MVP candidate at +2000 odds. Dalzell focused on De La Cruz leading MLB in stolen bases with 67 last season, combined with impressive metrics of 25 homers, 76 RBIs, and 105 runs. He praised De La Cruz's elite athleticism, speed, and raw upside, and noted the player's own stated goal to improve his problematic 31% strikeout rate. If De La Cruz moderately improves his plate discipline, Dalzell argues his elite power-speed combination makes him a prime MVP candidate. Dalzell also recommended him to lead the league in stolen bases despite lower odds than last year.

Millz Young singled out Elly De La Cruz as a bounce-back candidate after starting quietly in the first two games, taking him confidently to exceed 1.5 total bases. Millz highlighted De La Cruz's capability to get on base and steal bags, referencing past performances. He also suggested De La Cruz might even go yard in this matchup, noting that other superstars like Juan Soto and Aaron Judge have already started hitting home runs, reinforcing a broader trend of star hitters warming up early in the season.

Brian Howard enthusiastically endorsed betting Elly De La Cruz's stolen base prop at +170 odds for opening day against the Giants. Howard pointed out De La Cruz enjoys significant advantages against right-handed pitchers, noting that as a switch-hitter, he's markedly more effective hitting from the left side. Howard specifically highlighted De La Cruz's offseason improvements, particularly significantly reduced strikeout rates, suggesting better contact and a higher on-base likelihood. Additionally, he explained the challenges left-handed pitchers present to base runners due to pickoff mechanics and asserted that facing a right-hander like Logan Webb greatly increases De La Cruz's stolen base opportunities. Both Howard and Kyle Purviance noted cold weather conditions might reduce offensive power output, forcing teams to manufacture runs by running, adding further value to the speed-based prop.