Overview
- The Reds and national outlets noted Tuesday that through Cincinnati's first 16 games De La Cruz has five home runs and five steals, a first for a shortstop since 1900.
- He is batting .281 with a .924 OPS, 13 runs scored, 10 RBIs, and a 5-for-6 mark on steal attempts over that span.
- After a lower-body injury dulled his second half last year, he looks fully healthy, highlighted by an April 6 sprint where he beat a throw to second and came around to score.
- At this pace across 162 games he would project to a 50-homer, 50-steal season, a mark coverage credits only Shohei Ohtani with reaching, though 16 games remain a small sample.
- He has two homers in his past three games as the 9-7 Reds prepare to host the Giants, even as observers note his strikeout rate remains high.