Elly setting unprecedented standard in first 200 games

A 30-30 season? That’s cool. Going 40-40? A pretty rare feat indeed.

But how about 80-80-80? Elly De La Cruz finds himself in that club all by himself.

The Reds’ star shortstop has recorded 84 stolen bases, 80 extra-base hits and 83 walks through his first 198 big league games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no other player in the Modern Era (since 1900) has put up 80 steals, 80 extra-base hits and 80 walks through their first 200 MLB games.

Here is how the Cincinnati sensation has achieved history.

De La Cruz possesses elite sprint speed and, after accumulating 35 stolen bases in 2023, leads the Majors with 49 steals this season. That puts him on pace for 79 stolen bases, which would be the most by any player since Vince Coleman nabbed 81 with the 1988 Cardinals.

De La Cruz’s speed has also played a role in his extra-base count, as he has seven triples in each of his first two seasons. But his switch-hitting power can be equally awe-inspiring.

The 22-year-old phenom has tallied 21 doubles and 17 homers so far in 2024, surpassing his 2023 totals in each category (15 and 13, respectively) and doing so in fewer at-bats. De La Cruz has made damaging contact more often in ‘24, upping his barrel rate from 8.5% to 12.7%, putting him in the 86th percentile among qualified hitters.

But De La Cruz has made an even bigger improvement with his plate discipline. As a rookie, he swung at 32.8% of out-of-zone pitches that he saw. This year, De La Cruz has drastically cut that rate, down to 25.1% (league average is 28.4%). Laying off of bad pitches has allowed De La Cruz to take more walks. He walked 35 times in 427 plate appearances in 2023. He’s got 49 walks in 431 plate appearances this year.

And De La Cruz’s sophomore year is far from over. There are more than two months left for him to rack up more numbers -- and possibly make more history.