Elly De La Cruz Just Did Something No Shortstop Has Done in Over a Century

Elly De La Cruz has been fantastic to start the 2026 season. In fact, he has accomplished something no other shortstop in Major League Baseball has accomplished since the year 1900.

He is the first MLB shortstop since 1900 with at least five home runs and five stolen bases through his team's first 16 games of a season.

De La Cruz already has a WAR of 1.0 this season and is slashing .281/.361/.563 with eight extra-base hits and five stolen bases.

What has stood out with De La Cruz this season is his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He has homered 4 times in 22 at-bats this season vs left-handed pitchers. In 2025, he hit five home runs total in 199 at-bats against lefties.

If De La Cruz can keep this up, his name could be in the discussion for the National League Most Valuable Player race.

Sam Moll Making Team History

Apr 12, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Sam Moll (50) throws against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Sam Moll has been fantastic to start the season out of the bullpen. He has yet to allow a hit to the first 35 batters he's faced. It is the longest such hitless streak by a Reds pitcher to open a season since 1961.

In fact, Moll's eight consecutive hitless relief appearances rank as the second-longest streak by a Reds pitcher to open a season since 1900.

Reds Leading the League in ABS Success

Heading into Tuesday's games, the Reds rank first in all of Major League Baseball with a success rate of 69.2% on their challenges. They have won 18 of their 26 challenges and are ahead of the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets, who are second, third and fourth on the list.

Here is what Reds hitting coach Chris Valaika told Charlie Goldsmith about their ABS strategy before the season started.

“We want to stay away from emotional challenges,” he said. “Staying away from some two-strike stuff. If everyone in the ballpark knows it’s a ball, go ahead. But you want to stay away from those things. Three ball counts, things where there’s a result tied to it, we’ll try to be more proactive and challenge. Especially 3-0 counts when the zones tend to be the biggest.”

Reds manager Terry Francona shared that sentiment.

“We’re trying to stay away from first or second inning, 2-0 (count), nobody on,” Francona said.

In Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, LA challenged the first pitch of the game...and lost. Those are the types of challenges the Reds are trying to stay away from.

So far, their approach is absolutely working.

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