Elly De La Cruz just did something wild, clinching the first 30-homer, 30-stolen base season of his career. It happened Friday in the Cincinnati Reds’ final series of the season, with a steal of third base against the Toronto Blue Jays. This kid is absolutely electric, but man, it’s a gut punch watching a talent like this shine on a team stuck in last place.
Baseball History Just Got a New Chapter From De La Cruz
De La Cruz’s 30-30 season is only the fourth in Reds history, putting him in incredibly rare company. He joins the likes of Brandon Phillips in 2007, Barry Larkin in 1996, and Eric Davis in 1987, all of whom are in the Reds’ Hall of Fame. One of those legends even welcomed him to the club, which tells you everything about how big of a deal this is. Just a day before the steal, De La Cruz hit his 30th homer against the Atlanta Braves, setting a new career high. It’s wild because while he reached a new high in homers, his 30 stolen bases this year are actually the fewest in his four seasons. Remember his breakout 2024 season? He put up 25 homers and a mind-blowing 67 steals. It is a shame the Reds lost the game where he clinched his 30-30 season, falling 6-5.
The 24-Year-Old Freak Is Only Getting Better
This year, De La Cruz has arguably been even better than his 2024 breakout. He’s posted career highs across his slash line at .285/.367/.522. What makes him so unique? Shortstops are not supposed to be 6-foot-6, and people that tall are not supposed to be one of the fastest players in baseball. Players who swing as hard as he does, with those long levers, are also not supposed to have an above-average batting average. He is defying all expectations. Over the past 30 days, he has posted a ridiculous 1.232 OPS, by far the highest in MLB. At just 24 years old, it feels like De La Cruz has taken another massive step forward.
It is a tough pill to swallow that such a phenomenal talent is doing all of this on a struggling Reds franchise, sitting in last place in the NL Central with a 74-86 record. While the Reds’ season is wrapping up, you gotta look forward to what Elly De La Cruz will do next year. Can he somehow elevate the Reds, or will his individual brilliance continue to be the main highlight on a struggling team? We’re all watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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