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Elly De La Cruz makes more baseball history

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The young Cincinnati superstar made more baseball history Monday night

Last season, Elly De La Cruz was called up by the Cincinnati Reds and electrified both the team, and all of baseball. With a combination of power and speed that makes him seem more like a video game character De La Cruz almost immediately began turning heads, and making some baseball history along the way.

Here at the start of his first full season in the big leagues, De La Cruz is picking up where he left off a season ago.

On Monday night the Reds defeated the Milwaukee Brewers by a final score of 10-8. De La Cruz, batting sixth in the lineup and starting at shortstop, went three-for-four on the night with a pair of home runs, as well as a stolen base.

Which, when you consider how he accomplished those events, made some baseball history.

In the bottom of the fifth inning De La Cruz came to the plate with the Reds leading 8-3 and dug into the batter’s box, the switch hitter batting from the left side of the dish. J.B. Bukauskas left a pitch up in the zone, and 450 feet later the Reds had a 9-3 lead:

450 feet seems pretty far, yeah? ⚡️@ellylacocoa18 pic.twitter.com/OUigXMeb0G

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 9, 2024

In the next inning De La Cruz flashed his speed, stealing third base for his sixth SB of the young season. But if you thought that was a good example of his wheels, the seventh inning provided a better one.

De La Cruz came to bat with the Reds holding a one-run lead in the bottom of the seventh. With the Brewers having gone to left-hander Bryan Hudson, De La Cruz was now hitting from the right side of the dish. He laced a high fastball to shallow center, and with center fielder Sal Frelick playing him deep, the ball dropped in front of the diving center fielder.

That’s when De La Cruz got on his horse:

THIS MAN IS ELECTRIC @ellylacocoa18 pic.twitter.com/nqnatp6Lhc

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 9, 2024

Just how quickly did De La Cruz round the bases?

In under 15 seconds:

Elly De La Cruz just went home-to-home in 14.96 SECONDS! pic.twitter.com/pTgIYsbPgj

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 9, 2024

Here is one more view of the play, from behind home plate:

You can’t teach hustle ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/ZfyhythLNM

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 9, 2024

As he came across home plate with his head-first slide, he slid into the record books.

According to OptaSTATS, De La Cruz is now the first player in MLB history to: Homer from both sides of the plate, hit an over-the-wall HR and an inside-the-park HR, score four-plus runs, and steal a base in the same game:

Elly De La Cruz’s night for the @Reds:

– HR from both sides of the plate
– over-the-fence HR & inside-the-park HR
– 4+ runs scored
– stolen base

He’s the first player in MLB history to do all of that in the same game.

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 9, 2024

Electric, indeed.

And yet more historic moments from the young Reds superstar.

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