One of many players to begin Mets spring training in major league camp, Oscar De La Cruz isn’t a well-known player. Back in early November, the right-handed pitcher was one of eleven players signed to minor league deals.
Having turned 26 yesterday, De La Cruz began his professional career in the Cubs’ system back in 2013 in the Dominican Summer League. Before the Cubs released him last year, De La Cruz spent time at all three Single-A levels and Double-A and pitched exclusively as a starter from 2014 through 2018. He pitched pretty well and appeared in the Cubs’ top ten prospect lists at both Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America ahead of the 2017 and 2018 seasons, but it’s worth noting that he dealt with a variety of injuries over the course of those seasons, too.