Cincinnati Reds young star Elly De La Cruz has his flaws as a player.
For example, he has struck out 89 times in just 58 games and 257 plate appearances.
However, he is also spectacular and can impact a game in several ways: with his defense, bat, legs, and even his arm.
His power and speed combo is already very good and could be legendary if he can make contact more consistently and trim his strikeout rate.
On Sunday, he hit his 10th homer of the season in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, he became the second-fastest player in the history of baseball to hit 10 home runs and steal 15 bases in terms of games played.
“Elly De La Cruz reached 10 home runs and 15 stolen bases in the first 58 games of his career. The only player to debut since 1900 and get there faster was Barry Bonds (57 games),” they tweeted.
Elly De La Cruz reached 10 home runs and 15 stolen bases in the first 58 games of his career.
The only player to debut since 1900 and get there faster was Barry Bonds (57 games). pic.twitter.com/KeMinSZ48d
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 13, 2023
When your name appears next to Barry Bonds in a specific record, you should know you are already achieving great things.
Had he made his debut earlier in the season, De La Cruz could have had a shot at a 20-40 season.
For now, he is slashing a cool .264/.311/.464 with 10 home runs and 18 stolen bases.
His OPS is a steady .776, although we know the ceiling on that front is much higher once he is fully used to big league pitching.
He could be in for a breakout next year, but this version of De La Cruz is already one of the Reds’ best players.
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The Reds Continue To Struggle Since The Deadline