Elly De La Cruz has been exceptional for the Cincinnati Reds since his Major League Baseball debut on June 6, 2023. That day, he had one hit in three at-bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A year after his first MLB game, De La Cruz has been among the league’s best in getting additional bases. As MLB statistician Sarah Langs tweeted:
“Elly De La Cruz, who made his MLB debut one year ago today, has 67 career stolen bases and 57 extra-base hits. He’s the only player since 1900 with 65+ SB and 50+ extra-base hits within one year of his first game in the majors.”
One year ago, Elly entered the scene. pic.twitter.com/3PICJ1uPOr
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 6, 2024
The Dominican infielder had 35 stolen bases during his rookie season. De La Cruz added 13 home runs, 44 RBIs, and 159 total bases in 98 games. Those numbers translate to a .235/.300/.410 batting line. He already has 32 stolen bases, 56 hits, and 29 RBIs this season. After tallying 17 stolen bases in April, De La Cruz added 14 in May.
However, minimizing strikeouts is one department he can vastly improve. He leads all MLB players with 84 strikeouts this season after tallying 144 in 2023.
While he hasn’t stolen a base in June, he has 13 total bases, six hits, two home runs, and five RBIs. He leads the Reds in hits, home runs, and stolen bases. He is third in batting average and second in RBIs.
De La Cruz and the Reds can extend their winning streak to six games by defeating the Chicago Cubs on June 7 at 7:10 p.m. Eastern Time. It’s the first match of their five-game home stand, split between series against the Cubs and the Cleveland Guardians.
-Lance Fernandez