De La Cruz’s Week Stats
This excerpt was taken from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. For the complete newsletter, click here. Subscribe to receive it regularly in your inbox.
CINCINNATI — Elly De La Cruz boasts all five tools on the field, but quantifying the ways the young shortstop utilizes them to aid the Reds is a challenging task.
Especially as of late, it seems the myriad ways in which he contributes could extend indefinitely.
“In live game action, you truly witness his prowess. I couldn’t fathom observing it from a TV screen,” marveled Reds outfielder Will Benson. “His actions may appear unbelievable. He wields his bat, his legs, his glove – impacting the game across all dimensions. He’s a truly remarkable player, a rare talent.”
Here are several statistics that highlight De La Cruz’s recent performance:
112: The distance, in feet, De La Cruz covered while chasing down a Johan Rojas pop fly near the left-field line during Tuesday’s 8-1 victory over the Phillies.
Following an extensive sprint, De La Cruz executed an impressive sliding catch.
“I’m at a loss for words. Such plays are seldom seen,” remarked manager David Bell. “When the entire dugout exchanges bewildered glances, you know something remarkable just occurred.
“If Elly or any other shortstop had not ventured far from their position, we wouldn’t be questioning their whereabouts on that play.”
Left fielder Spencer Steer was positioned towards the left-center field gap, rendering him unable to reach the ball.
“It was either Elly or a double,” Bell noted.
“I don’t think it was about concentration. It was about sprinting full speed to make the catch out there,” De La Cruz remarked via translator Jorge Merlos. “If the left fielder gives me enough space, I’ll go out there and make that play.”
1+1=50: During the eighth inning of the Reds’ 7-4 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday, De La Cruz connected for a one-out single. While Steer was at bat, he swiftly stole second base. Shortly after, he executed another steal, this time of third base, positioning himself to score on Steer’s subsequent sacrifice fly.
“He essentially manufactured a run single-handedly. He’s been pulling off such plays consistently,” remarked Benson.
De La Cruz equaled his career-best mark with three steals in the game. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, his theft of third base marked him as the second-quickest Reds player since 1900 to reach 50 career steals, achieving the milestone in just 122 games. Billy Hamilton accomplished this feat in 97 games.
5/10 in 20: De La Cruz became only the second player since 1900, as per Elias, to tally at least five home runs and 10 stolen bases within his first 20 games of the season. He joined Ken Williams from the 1922 St. Louis Browns. So far this season, De La Cruz has notched seven homers and 17 steals.
4: De La Cruz set a career high by drawing four walks on April 20 during a 7-5 victory over the Angels. Previously, he hadn’t walked more than twice in a single game.
.400/.571/.750: De La Cruz’s impressive slash line during the recent seven-game homestand. Additionally, he tallied two homers with seven RBIs, accumulated eight walks, and recorded six strikeouts.
Zero: The number of errors De La Cruz has committed since his last one on April 9, bringing his total to five for the season.
“That’s our objective, to impact the game in any way possible,” De La Cruz remarked. “Whether it’s defensively or offensively, our aim is to make a difference however we can.”
De La Cruz encountered significant struggles during the final two months of his rookie season after a strong start following his June 6 big league debut. While the first nine games of the 2024 season were somewhat unremarkable, things began to click for him.
“There will always be highs and lows throughout the season, but I remain the same person,” De La Cruz reflected. “I’ve learned a great deal from last year. But one crucial lesson is the importance of maintaining a consistent routine for sustained performance. That’s key.”
