Elly De La Cruz Quietly Putting Together Historic Start to Reds Season

It doesn't seem like anybody is talking about how impressive and improved Elly De La Cruz has been.

Apr 12, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz gestures while running the bases, after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds have been under fire for most of the season, as their offense ranks near the bottom of the league in most categories, including runs scored. Rookie Sal Stewart has stolen the spotlight after breaking out in a big way to begin the year. Stewart has since cooled off a bit, but remains one of the best players on the Reds roster.

Stewart's incredible production has overshadowed the fact that Elly De La Cruz is on pace for a career year. It doesn't seem like anybody is talking about or respecting how impressive and improved De La Cruz has looked this season.

Elly De La Cruz is on Pace for a Career Year in 2026

Apr 12, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) takes the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

De La Cruz suffered an injury around the midway point of last season, and his production completely fell off a cliff. He didn't have much power. His range on defense was lacking and his speed was down because the lower-body injury stopped him from running at full strength.

As a result, nobody is talking about how dominant he is this year. De La Cruz, finally healthy again, is slashing .281/.361/.563 with five home runs, five stolen bases, and three doubles. He's on pace for 50 home runs, 50 stolen bases, and 30 doubles over a full 162-game season.

De La Cruz has also looked much improved against lefties. He recorded 47 hits and five home runs while slashing .236/.276/.342 in 199 at-bats against southpaws last year. This season, he's slashing .318/.348/.909 with four home runs and seven hits in 22 at-bats. This kind of production isn't sustainable, but he looks so much better against southpaws than he ever has.

What to Expect From Elly De La Cruz for the Rest of 2026

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) is embraced by teammates in the dugout after scoring a homer in the ninth inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. Reds loss 9-6. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joining Shohei Ohtani in the 50/50 club is a long shot. Even joining the 40/40 club, which has only happened a handful of times in MLB history, is a long shot. But De La Cruz could be headed for the 30/30 club. He is seemingly headed for a career year.

He's doing a better job of laying off pitches out of the zone. He's also finding the barrel a lot, ranking near the top of the league in barrel rate and hard hit rate.

Another note with De La Cruz is his improved defense. He's worth 1 Fielding Run Value and 1 Out Above Average early in the season, which is closer to his elite defensive year in 2024 rather than his slightly below average defensive year last season.

Make sure you bookmark Cincinnati Reds Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and daily coverage of the Cincinnati Reds! Follow Cincinnati Reds OnSI on Twitter/X: @RedsTalkSI. Like Our Cincinnati Reds On SI Facebook Page. Follow Cincinnati Reds On SI on Instagram.