Elly De La Cruz has etched his name in the annals of Major League Baseball history.
The 22-year-old Dominican professional baseball infielder, who plays for the Cincinnati Reds, became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 60 bases in a season during his team’s 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
But that’s not all… He’s also the first shortstop with 25 homers and 65 steals in a season.
De La Cruz hit the benchmark when he blasted his 25th home run of the season in the fourth inning, a three-run shot that struck the railing just below the upper-level bar in right field, to make the score 6-0. He finished the game with three hits, including a double, and four RBIs.
De La Cruz joined Eric Davis and Barry Larkin as the only Reds players with 25 homers and 65 stolen bases in a season.
“It means a lot to me, those are great players,” De La Cruz said. “I feel great. I wanted to finish strong.”
De La Cruz stole his 65th base of the season on Friday night. It was his 100th career stolen base in his 251st career game.
Also on Saturday, De La Cruz became the third player in major league history with 35 doubles, 25 homers and 60 stolen bases in a season, joining the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2023 and Cincinnati’s Joe Morgan in 1973, according to ESPN Research.
