How can EDLC take the next step in '25? 'Get better every day at everything'

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CINCINNATI -- Elly De La Cruz showed why he was an All-Star shortstop for the Reds in 2024, and he could receive a few down-ballot National League MVP votes. At the same time, De La Cruz also demonstrated plenty of growth is still needed to become a fully realized superstar.

At 22 years old in his first full season, De La Cruz led the Major Leagues with 67 stolen bases. He was Cincinnati's leader with 25 home runs, 36 doubles and 10 triples. He was also MLB's leader in strikeouts (218), errors (29), times caught stealing (16) and non-stealing outs on the bases (15).

“I feel good about this year, really good. I’m just going to enjoy my offseason, come back next year and do better," De La Cruz said after the Reds' season finale.

Overall in 160 games, De La Cruz batted .259 with an .809 OPS while producing 5.2 WAR.

What areas of his game would De La Cruz like to get better in the offseason?

"I will work on everything. I want to get better every day at everything," he replied.

Improved consistency on all sides of his game is the best way for De La Cruz to reach his very high ceiling.

“If he can cut down some of his strikeouts and put more balls in play, he’s going to hit more home runs. He’s going to get more base hits. He’s going to get on base more to steal more bases," Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said.

Defensively, De La Cruz often made spectacular plays. His 15 Outs Above Average and 11 runs prevented demonstrated that. But he was often prone to flubbing routine ground balls. Former interim manager Freddie Benavides felt it was a concentration issue when asked how De La Cruz could improve his defense.

“His overall focus, his overall game. The defense in general," Benavides said on Sept. 29. "I think balls to his left, taking pitches off. He’s got to take a mindset like every ball is coming to him."

Krall noted that De La Cruz didn't encounter much adversity until he reached the big leagues.

“He basically out-talented every level he’s got to," Krall continued. "The guys here have a similar amount of talent. The right fielders are better when they’re trying to throw the ball to second base when he’s trying to take the extra base. The catchers throw better. The pitchers hold runners better. Pitchers have better stuff. He’s learning how to be a big leaguer while still creating impact as a player. While he still is an elite player, he still has a lot of room to grow as a 22-year-old and can continue to get better.”

Often, the mistakes that De La Cruz made were things he got away with when he was in the Minors.

"They weren’t mistakes because he just out-ran them and he was safe. So you don’t learn from that until they become mistakes," general manager Brad Meador said. "And this is the first place that’s ever happened to him. There are some tougher lessons that he’s having to learn here in the Major Leagues in front of everyone that most guys learn in Double-A and Triple-A because he’s just so talented."

Not every mistake was physical. On Sept. 2 vs. the Astros during a routine popup by Yordan Alvarez to the right side, second baseman Jonathan India was camped under the ball. But De La Cruz kept drifting closer to India and distracted him before the ball was dropped for an error.

De La Cruz occasionally liked to playfully mess with teammates on similar plays this past season, but that was the first time it backfired.

It was also not the right time or place since starting pitcher Julian Aguiar was working on short rest for the first time and there was literally no room for error.

Ultimately, the Reds got the 5-3 win over Houston, but members of the club were privately none too pleased with the play.

“That’s just Elly having fun the way he sees it. We have to talk about that stuff," Meador said. "Some of that stuff he’ll have to clean up and he knows it now. But you have to be careful not to take away the good of showing up every day with a smile on his face, putting the work in and having fun playing because that is contagious too. You don’t want to take the aggressiveness away. So it’s a fine line with Elly.”

One thing that won't be changing next season: De La Cruz's position. Although there has been speculation, he is not moving to the outfield.

"Elly is the shortstop," both Krall and Meador said in unison.