The Cincinnati Reds are looking like borderline contenders if the first month of the season is any indication.
They are 15-13 as of Monday afternoon, third in the NL Central and 2.5 games behind the leaders, the Milwaukee Brewers.
If they are just two games above .500, it’s probably hard to imagine where would they be if they didn’t have Elly De La Cruz.
The dynamic shortstop has shown immense growth this year and has ascended to the upper echelon of MLB.
MLB Network posted a graphic on Twitter, showcasing his absurd full-season pace after the first month of the 2024 campaign.
Elly is on a staggering pace after a month of action! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/XQ28b1AEFF
162-game paces are not particularly accurate when predicting future performance, but it gives us an idea of how a player’s numbers will look if he maintains his current level.
If that happens, then De La Cruz would join Ronald Acuna Jr. as the second member of the 40-70 club.
In fact, he would be the founding member of a whole new club: the 40-100 one, as his current pace is 41 home runs and 104 stolen bases.
While the 41 home runs are possible – albeit not likely, with 30 as a more probable outcome – the 104 steals are probably too many for a modern MLB player to shoot for.
The last player to steal at least 100 bags in a single season was Vince Coleman in 1987, with 109.
There is a reason why it hasn’t happened in 37 years.
Still, what De La Cruz is doing is nothing short of amazing.
He is slashing .281/.395/.573 with seven home runs and 18 stolen bases, not to mention a stellar .968 OPS.
The baseball skills have finally matched the physical gifts, and we are in the presence of a bona fide MVP candidate.