ESPN Shares Bold Prediction for Cincinnati Reds Star Elly De La Cruz

The Reds phenom shortstop is already in elite company.

Jul 24, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) steals second base against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI -- Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz has captivated Reds fans since the moment he was called up to the big leagues. He hit his first home run in just the second game of his career the following night then became the first Red to hit for the cycle since 1989.

De La Cruz stealing home the following month in a game at Milwaukee began to captivate the national audience, and he enters 2025 with enormous expectations.

After just two seasons in his career, one ESPN host is predicting De La Cruz to do something never done before in MLB history.

Paul "Hembo" Hembekides, who co-hosts the Baseball Tonight Podcast with Buster Olney, predicts De La Cruz will become the first player in MLB history to hit 40 home runs and steal 80 bases in a season.

Hembekides, who has co-authored two books with legendary ESPN host Mike Greenberg, offers great perspective to how unprecedented this acheivement would be for De La Cruz and in MLB in general.

The most stolen bases for any player that hit 40 homes runs in a season is Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who stole 73 bases while hitting 41 home runs in 2023.

On the flip side, the most home runs any player hit while stealing 80 bases in a season is Baseball Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, who hit 28 home runs while stealing 87 bases for the New York Yankess in 1986.

De La Cruz is one five players in MLB history with 20 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a single season. The other four include Reds legends Joe Morgan and Eric Davis along with the aforementioned Rickey Henderson and Ronald Acuna Jr.

Hembekides made his bold prediction based on a small spring training sample size.

De La Cruz has three home runs and a stolen base, to go along with five RBIs, six hits and five runs scored so far this spring.

The most steals in a 40-homer season is 73 (2023 Ronald Acuña Jr.).

The most homers in an 80-steal season is 28 (1986 Ricky Henderson).

How Elly De La Cruz could record the first 40-80 season in MLB history 👇 https://t.co/2Dduw5CJ5S pic.twitter.com/XDUtWNSH3f

— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) February 27, 2025

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