Elly De La Cruz is quietly chasing a Shohei Ohtani feat Reds fans may've missed

We all know Elly De La Cruz is electric. That’s nothing new. The guy can turn a half-decent jump off first into the loudest thing in the ballpark in three seconds. But what might have slipped past some Cincinnati Reds fans during the usual early-season chaos is just how ridiculous his start to 2026 has actually been. Through April 13, De La Cruz is hitting .281 with five home runs, five stolen bases, 13 runs scored, and a .924 OPS in 16 games and 72 plate appearances. 

ESPN’s current pace projection has Elly trending toward 51 home runs over a full 162-game season. Pair that with the steals he already has, and suddenly we are talking about a player brushing up against 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases, which is still one of the rarest ideas baseball has ever produced. Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in the same season in 2024. 

Reds fans may be sleeping on the absurd pace Elly De La Cruz has already set

Let's definitely take a breath before doing full-season math like it’s a guarantee. Baseball loves humiliating pace talk. But this is also not random noise from a guy who’s never hinted at this kind of ceiling before. Elly played all 162 games in 2025 and finished with a .264 average, 22 home runs, 86 RBI, and 37 stolen bases. He already gave Cincinnati a full season of impact, and he came into 2026 looking to build on it. 

We are talking about a freak talent getting stronger, sharper, and maybe a little more intentional. MLB.com reported in January that De La Cruz had turned down what Nick Krall said would have been the largest contract in Reds history, choosing instead to keep building value before he reaches arbitration eligibility in 2027. That same report framed him as hungry for more after an uneven 2025, which feels pretty on the nose now. 

The other thing that jumps off the page is how he is doing damage from both angles already. Four of his five home runs have come against left-handed pitching. Opposing teams don’t get the opportunity to hide behind easy matchup logic when Elly is punishing the ball from both sides of the plate.  

Nobody is promising a 50-50 season this early. That would be asking baseball to make us look stupid. But Reds fans absolutely should recognize what is happening. Elly is forcing his way back into the kind of historic conversation that only a handful of players can even threaten. Ohtani already proved the 50-50 barrier could be broken. Elly is making it feel just plausible enough again to demand our attention.

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