There was a really cool phenomenon on August 21, 2017 as the first full solar eclipse took place in the United States in almost 100 years. And speaking of natural phenomena, New York Nine Scout Team outfielder Carlos De La Cruz, who imprinted his name all over the Nine record books, signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

After drawing no interest by 30 big league teams, going undrafted in the June 2017 draft out of George Washington HS, the 6’8″ De La Cruz put together a summer campaign for the ages. Carlos tied for the team lead in hits with 48, led in RBI with 49, launched 7 home runs tying multiple alumni including New York Mets infielder TJ Rivera and finished with a .444 batting average.

“What happened with Carlos is very rare,” stated Ian Millman, Scout team manager. “To go from being on no radars and having no college option in the spring to being in a position to decide between a full athletic ride to a nationally prominent junior college in Texas or signing a professional contract is phenomenal. This is a credit to not just Carlos but his teammates who repeatedly put him in position to produce. We wish Carlos and his family well as he embarks on the next phase of his baseball journey.”

De La Cruz added, “The New York Nine meant a lot to me. I played hard every day for the organization and they did nothing but look out for my best interests. They helped me with college, then were a bigger help with getting a professional contract. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes, ‘nothing worth having comes easy.'”

We look forward to following Carlos as he develops at the professional level and we are confident he will represent his family and his New York Nine family professionally.

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