Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart have one week to make Reds’ history

Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart have been two of the three bright spots for the Cincinnati Reds in 2026 — the other being Chase Burns. In a year where not much has gone right in Cincinnati, this young trio has been outstanding.

All three will receive some offseason award recognition. De La Cruz has a chance to finish among the top-5 in the National League MVP race, while Stewart is the likely winner of this year's NL Rookie of the Year Award. Burns will surely receive some down-ballot votes for the NL Cy Young Award as well.

But both De La Cruz and Stewart have a pair of Reds' records within their grasp. Neither one is easily attainable, and with just one week left before the 2026 season ends, time is running out.

Elly De La Cruz could join some Reds' legends in the 30-30 club

Anyone who's watched De La Cruz since his Major League debut in 2023 knows that he has 30-30 potential (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season). Elly's bat has been red-hot of late, and it might be easier for him to eclipse the home run total than it will be to nab those extra swipes. Entering Sunday's game, he's sitting on 28 homers and 27 stolen bases.

De La Cruz is on the cusp of reaching 30-plus home runs. Heading into the weekend series against the Chicago Cubs, he needed just two round trippers to add to career-best 28 homers.

The Reds shortstop has recorded 35 or more stolen bases in each of his first three Major League seasons. His career-high came during his All-Star season in 2024 when he stole an MLB-leading 67 bags that year.

De La Cruz has seven games to reach the 30-30 club; something only three other players in Reds history have done. Eric Davis (1987), Barry Larkin (1996), and Brandon Phillips (2007).

Reds rookie Sal Stewart has a long way to go to catch Frank Robinson

After a two-week drought, Stewart recorded his 32nd home run of the 2026 season last week against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Stewart currently sits in second-place among all Reds rookies. He's ahead of Joey Votto, who hit 24 in 2008. But Frank Robinson's 38 dingers in 1956 might be hard to catch.

If we're to assume that Stewart has approximately 30 at-bats left, he's going to have to hit nearly one round-tripper every four ABs just to tie Robinson. That's a tall task. But if he follows in Elly's footsteps — De La Cruz homered in five straight games — he's got a shot.

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