Elly De La Cruz has been must-watch TV over the last couple of weeks. On Monday night he inked his name in baseball history and added to his impressive resume. His first-inning home run to dead center field was his team-high eight of the season. Dating back to 1901, no player in MLB history has hit eight home runs and stolen 17 bases in a single month.
Elly’s home run hit in San Diego was said to be “one of the more impressive blasts we’ve seen at Petco this season” by the San Diego TV broadcast. 113.4 mph exit velocity that travelled 443 feet got the night started for the Reds.
Elly De La Cruz with his 8th HR of the season.
113.4 mph, 443 feet.
8 HR and 17 SB now in April.#ATOBTTR pic.twitter.com/e4qzwTwTMT
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) April 30, 2024
Cruz’s 2024 campaign has been filled with improvements to his game. Most notable is his feel for the strike zone. Through his first 100 at-bats, De La Cruz has put up a 14.9 percent walk rate. That is over six percent better than the league average of 8.4 percent.
Elly De La Cruz Makes History in San Diego
Elly De La Cruz now has 8 HR and 17 SB in April
he’s the 1st player with at least that many HR & SB in a calendar month (since at least 1901) https://t.co/gMPSvgeBd7
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 30, 2024
With his improved eye at the plate, his on-base percentage has reaped the benefits, sitting at .390 on the year. Elly getting on base means one thing, speed. His 18 stolen bases on 21 attempts are the most in baseball. It is five more than second place, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Brice Turang, who have 13.
No Cincinnati Reds player has led the league in stolen bases since Bobby Tolan stole 57 bags in 1970. Remember Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton? The most bases he stole in a season was 59. But he did that with a .299 on-base percentage and just a 7.0 percent walk rate.
De La Cruz currently is on pace to steal 101 bases and hit 45 home runs. In 2023, Acuna Jr made history by becoming the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in a single season. Could Elly De La Cruz join that club, or perhaps take it another step forward?
Main Photo: © Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
