Why Has Elly De La Cruz Slowed Down on the Basepaths? A Look at the Numbers

Elly was once considered baseball's fastest player...What happened?

May 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) in the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Elly De La Cruz is off to a huge start in the 2026 MLB Season. Through 52 games, Elly has already registered a 2.1 bWar, hitting .288/.355/.529 with 12 Home Runs, 35 RBI, and 25 extra base hits. De La Cruz also has 9 stolen bases on the season, but only one of those is in the month of May, and he has been caught stealing twice.

His nine stolen bases are second on the team to Sal Stewart, and he's tied for 22nd overall in Major League Baseball. While these numbers are decent, he's been caught stealing five times overall, and the speed that made him the most exciting player in baseball seems to have faded, which raises the question... What happened?

To put this into context, in 2023, Elly De La Cruz was #1 overall in Major League Baseball in Sprint Speed at 30.5 ft/s. In 2024, he dropped to 3rd, though he led the big leagues in Stolen Bases. In 2025, he was injured but still placed 56th overall on one good leg. This year, he is fully healthy but currently 111th in MLB, at the 74th percentile among Major League Baseball players.

While he is getting a lot of extra base hits, where his speed went is the big question no one can answer. This could be one of a few things, so put on your tin foil cap, we're going to dive into some theories.

Is it Terry Francona's Choice?

May 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) in the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Tito's Reds are stealing bases at a significantly lower clip since he took over the helm than David Bell's teams did. This makes sense to avoid risking outs on the basepath, but it also feels like you could be handcuffing players like Elly. Even though Elly is still on pace for 30+ SB's on the year, the lack of running has been a surprise. Even last season, while battling injury and playing every day, he still stole 35 bases.

Does Elly's Agent have a say?

Apr 14, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sports agent Scott Boras talks on a cell phone before a game between the Colrorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

We all know Elly is represented by MLB super agent Scott Boras. Boras is the agent best known for securing his players the financial compensation they deserve for their stellar play. Does Boras maybe have Elly not stealing because he doesn't feel it's worth it financially? The Reds came to Elly in the offseason with the biggest contract offer in franchise history but it was declined, maybe Boras feels that stealing bases just isn't worth it.

Is this Elly's decision?

May 13, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) scores a run on a double hit by outfielder JJ Bleday (22) during the game against the Washington Nationals in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Elly is having his breakout season at the plate, playing the best defense of his short MLB career, and has shown superstar status. Could the Reds' All-Star shortstop just feel like he can pick his spots more and not need to run every chance he gets anymore?

Whatever it is, the Reds could really use their disruptor on the basepaths again. Elly has been promoted as a 5-Tool player and we all believe he is, but the speed decline just feels strange.