The Cincinnati Reds have been solid to open the year, with a 14-11 record.
A big part of their early success can be attributed to exciting shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
After a somewhat inconsistent debut year in 2023 (13 home runs and 35 steals, but 144 strikeouts) the dynamic infielder has taken a step forward and blossomed into a legitimate star in 2024.
According to MLB stats expert Sarah Langs, he has joined an exclusive list thanks to his power-speed combo.
“Elly De La Cruz has 7 HR and 14 SB in April. He’s 1 SB away from joining this list of players with at least 7 HR & 15 SB in a calendar month (since at least 1901): 2004 Aug Carlos Beltran: 10 HR, 16 SB; 1996 Sept Barry Bonds: 7 HR, 15 SB; 1986 May Rickey Henderson: 7 HR, 20 SB; 1976 Aug Joe Morgan: 8 HR, 15 SB; 1966 July Lou Brock: 7 HR, 15 SB,” she tweeted.
Elly De La Cruz has 7 HR and 14 SB in April
he’s 1 SB away from joining this list of players with at least 7 HR & 15 SB in a calendar month (since at least 1901):
2004 Aug Carlos Beltran: 10 HR, 16 SB1996 Sept Barry Bonds: 7 HR, 15 SB1986 May Rickey Henderson: 7 HR, 20 SB…
Spoiler alert: De La Cruz actually has stolen his 15th base of the season, officially making him a member of that exclusive club.
The incredible De La Cruz is slashing a cool .306/.416/.635 with seven homers, 15 steals, and a 1.051 OPS.
For reference, his OPS last year was .710.
De La Cruz has increased his power output, is taking more walks, has cut down on his strikeouts, and is running much more often this year.
Basically, he made improvements in everything he needed to work on heading into the season.
He is now a true monster at the plate, and the sky is the limit for him.
There is still a long way to go, but if he keeps playing like this, he could join the 30-30 or 40-40 club once the season is over.