At just 22 years old, Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz has a long career ahead of him, but what he has accomplished so far is pretty damn good.
De La Cruz is one of the most talented players in baseball, gifted with a fantastic throwing arm, unlimited power and blazing speed. He has used that speed to his advantage in a big way this year, stealing 58 bases, a league record. Although he hasn’t stolen as many bases as he did earlier in the year, it’s realistic to assume he could steal 70-75 bases by the end of the season.
And every time he steals a bag, he climbs up the lists of baseball history, like this one.
According to @StatsCentre on social media:
Elly De La Cruz picked up another stolen base in the @Reds’ win over the Marlins last night and has 58 in 111 games in 2024 after hitting 35 in 98 as a rookie. His career total now ranks him 5th on this list of speedsters in Senior Circuit history.
Another stolen base last night @Red Victory over the Marlins, Elly De La Cruz has played 58 games in 111 games in 2024 after playing 35 in 98 games as a rookie. His career total now ranks him fifth on this list of speedsters in senior circuit history. pic.twitter.com/gADxWQ01oS
– StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) 7 August 2024
This note is from before Wednesday’s game, which the Reds lost to the Marlins. De La Cruz went 0 for 4 and stole no bases, so he still has 58 total bases this season and 93 for his career.
In addition to his running ability, he also has a .265 batting average with 20 home runs and 50 RBIs this season. He has an OPS of .851 and is the centerpiece of the Reds’ future alongside Matt McLain and Noelvi Marte.
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