Fastball

Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz Has Put Up Historic Numbers as He Hits One Year in Majors

Thursday night marks the one-year anniversary of Elly De La Cruz's debut in the major leagues, and he's done things through one year that no one has ever done.

Brady Farkas

Jun 5, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) reacts during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 5, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) reacts during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports / Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
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On Thursday night, the Cincinnati Reds take on the Chicago Cubs in a battle of contenders in the National League Central.

In addition to just being a big divisional game, the game also represents the one-year mark since the Reds called up electric prospet Elly De La Cruz.

As he hits that one-year mark, Sarah Langs of MLB.com shows that De La Cruz has accomplished things that have never done before in baseball history:

Elly De La Cruz, who made his MLB debut 1 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

De La Cruz possesses some of the best raw skills in the game: He's armed with elite speed, prodigious power and a laser throwing arm. This first year in the big leagues has been about harnessing those skills and then transferring them in a useful way on the field.

Entering play on Thursday, De La Cruz is hitting .241 with 10 homers and 26 RBI. He's also stolen 32 bases and has a .335 on-base percentage. He's certainly in contention for a National League All-Star spot later this summer.

He hit 13 homers last season after his promotion and stole 25 bases.

The Reds are currently 29-33 and in last place in the National League Central. The Cubs are in second place at 31-31. Both teams are looking up at the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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