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Few players under 23 years of age have captivated the MLB landscape like Elly De La Cruz has. The Cincinnati Reds shortstop is off to a blistering hot start, posting a .980 OPS in 29 games. What he’s doing on the base paths is perhaps his most impressive feat.
De La Cruz has 18 steals before the beginning of May. That is the most by any big leaguer since another Reds player did it in 1997, per MLB Network. Deion Sanders stole 19 bases before May in 1997. He went on to swipe 56 bases, a career-high for the Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back.
De La Cruz has been doing it all for the Reds and inserted himself into the National League MVP race a month into the season. He’ll have to keep at this pace to remain in the conversation in August and September, but the Reds appear to have an MVP candidate for the first time since prime Joey Votto.
De La Cruz has multiple stolen bases in four games and three steals in two games. He is almost taking bases at will and becoming a ridiculous weapon for the Reds. His .390 on-base percentage also helps and he is always a threat to steal on the base paths.
The Reds don’t want to become an “as he goes, they go” team, but it certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing for Cincy to play hotter when De La Cruz is raking. The Reds need to utilize the talent on the roster as much as possible and build confidence in the lineup outside of De La Cruz to get to where they want to be.
Reds playing for postseason dreams
The Reds were one of the feel-good stories of the 2023 MLB season. Though it didn’t end with a playoff berth, the Reds played meaningful baseball deep into September. That is a good thing for a young team that has similar aspirations and thoughts of competing for a division title in 2024.
The Reds are 16-13 and sit two games back in the NL Central. Being on pace for a winning season is a good place to be, but Cincy wants to do more. The Reds need to start winning consecutive series and trend toward a consistent winner rather than a streaky team.
Who knows what sort of numbers Elly De La Cruz will put up this season, but he is on pace to have a year the likes of which we’ve never seen before in the MLB. He’s already putting up historic stats and taking over games at the age of 22.
After hitting his eighth home run of April on Monday, De La Cruz became the first player since at least 1901 to have eight home runs and 17 steals in a calendar month, per Sarah Langs.
If he keeps those numbers up, De La Cruz could win MVP and the Reds should be in postseason contention. Baseball is a team sport, but having a star player to lean on in big moments and on a consistent basis is key.
Elly De La Cruz will no doubt want and need help, but he can surely push the Reds to new heights on his own in a couple of games. Regardless, the Reds will be a fun team to watch this season.
More must-reads:
- Twins reliever shut down for six weeks with patellar tendon tear
- West Point alum made history in his MLB debut with Reds
- The 'No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft' quiz
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