Getty Image / Rob Carr
When Elly De La Cruz was called up to the MLB, he entered the league with plenty of hype behind him.
He has now been in the big leagues for just over a month and he is already living up to every last bit of that hype.
Over that first month in the league, De La Cruz posted a .325 batting average, hit 4 home runs, and drove in 15 RBIs.
Most notably, he had already stolen 13 bases coming into today’s action.
He added to that number in a big way during today’s win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
In the 7th inning of the game, De La Cruz stepped up to the plate with 2 outs, the game tied at 5, and TJ Friedl at 3rd. He came up big for the Cincinnati Reds and hit a single to drive Friedl in and give the Reds the lead.
He wasn’t anywhere near done there. While Jake Fraley was at the plate, De La Cruz stole second base on the first pitch of his at bat. 2 pitches later, he did something incredible.
De La Cruz stole 3rd and then stole home before another pitch was thrown.
ELLY DE LA CRUZ STOLE EVERY BASE@ellylacocoa18 pic.twitter.com/FrDKGn3pwl
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 8, 2023
Early in his MLB career, Elly De La Cruz claimed that he was the fastest man alive.
At the time, it seemed like a pretty bold claim to make, but he has done everything in his power to prove himself correct since then.
It has taken him just 29 games to steal the first 16 bases of his career. That’s an 89 stolen base pace over a 162 game season. That would be top 40 all-time in a single season and he’s just 21 years old.
The Cincinnati Reds have been one of baseball’s best stories during the 2023 season and Elly De La Cruz becoming a star over the past month has been a big part of that story.