Shortstop Elly De La Cruz proved supporters right in his highly anticipated MLB debut for the Cincinnati Reds. Scoring a run in a 9-8 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, he finished 1-for-3 with two walks and a double. The top prospect was called up from Triple-A Louisville just hours before he took the field.

"I'm just very excited to be here," he said via ESPN. "I'm just trying to give the team an opportunity to win, and sure enough, we did that today."

The 21-year-old became the fifth-youngest player to start at cleanup in his major-league debut, according to MLB's Sarah Langs.

De La Cruz's third-inning double had an exit velocity of 112.0 mph, the hardest hit ball by any Reds player this season, according to MLB.

De La Cruz is ranked as ESPN's No. 1 baseball prospect and MLB's No. 4 overall prospect. He took Nick Senzel's roster spot after Senzel was placed on the injured list due to a knee injury.

In Triple-A, the 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic hit .298 with 49 home runs in 262 games.

After he missed some time on the injured list due to an injured left hamstring, De La Cruz's season started April 20. Since then, the switch-hitter, listed at 6-foot-5, has consistently produced viral highlights. This season, he's hitting .297/.398/.633 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI in 38 games.

De La Cruz is responsible for the hardest-hit ball in professional baseball this season, recording an exit velocity of 118.8 mph. In the same game, he hit three balls more than 116 mph.

De La Cruz's bat isn't his only threat. He's also fast, recording a 10.97-second sprint from home plate to third base on Friday. That time would tie for the quickest measured dash from home to third in the majors this year, according to MLB.com.

He also has a ridiculous arm. Early last month, De La Cruz sent a 99.2 mph throw from third to first base. It was the fastest throw in professional baseball this season. With all of that to offer, it's no surprise that he has garnered all kinds of fans — including Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow, who is a Kentucky native.

Because of De La Cruz's unique size and skills, there were some questions about where he might fit for Cincinnati. Reds general manager Nick Krall told SiriusXM MLB Radio that De La Cruz will play shortstop and third base, and the young star showed Tuesday how beneficial that could be.