Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz Becomes 1st Player in 100 Years to Achieve Wild Feat
Elly De La Cruz has 6 home runs and 10 stolen bases through 20 games this year, putting the Cincinnati Reds star in some exclusive company in baseball history.
The Cincinnati Reds pulled out a big win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, putting them over .500 through the first 20 games of the 2024 season.
One of the club's biggest contributors thus far has been rising star shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who drew four walks and scored a run Saturday night. De La Cruz is now batting .290 with six home runs, 15 RBI, a 1.033 OPS and a 1.2 WAR, on top of leading the National League with 10 stolen bases.
According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, De La Cruz is now one of two MLB players since 1900 to record five home runs and 10 stolen bases in the first 20 games of a season. The last time someone achieved the feat was in 1922, when Ken Williams did so for the St. Louis Browns.
Williams went on to lead the American League in home runs, RBI and total bases that season.
De La Cruz was one of the top prospects in baseball entering 2023, and he took the league by storm when he reached the big leagues last summer. He finished seventh in NL Rookie of the Year voting after batting .235 with 13 home runs, 44 RBI, 25 stolen bases, a .710 OPS and a 0.8 WAR in 98 appearances.
This year, De La Cruz has seemingly refined his top-tier power at the plate and speed on the basepaths. While it remains to be seen if he can be an MVP candidate and league-leader by the time October rolls around, Reds fans should certainly be encouraged by his hot start to the season.
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