‘I’ve never seen that’: Tito reveals shocking news on Elly De La Cruz
Elly De La Cruz kicked off the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday by effortlessly beating out an infield single, showcasing his blazing speed and thrilling the crowd.
But that was just a preview of what was to come.
The 23-year-old sensation advanced to second base moments later when Austin Hays was hit by a pitch, setting up the Reds with runners on first and second in a scoreless game against the Rockies. With Tyler Stephenson at the plate, De La Cruz and Hays took off on a double steal.
Rockies catcher Drew Romo attempted to throw out Hays at second, but Hays slid in safely. Meanwhile, De La Cruz stole third and, without hesitation, sprinted home—scoring without the ball ever leaving the infield.
“You always hear that you might see something at a game you’ve never seen before? I’ve never seen that,” said Reds manager Terry Francona, who has been around Major League Baseball since his rookie season in 1981. “When he took off from third, I was thinking, ‘No, no, no… good play.’ That’s as athletic and instinctive as it gets. Incredible.”
Initially, De La Cruz was credited with just one stolen base and an advance on the throw, but the official scoring was later changed to give him two steals on the play.
For Francona, the play was about more than just raw speed.
“Everyone sees the physical tools, but if he doesn’t keep his head up and know where the ball is, that doesn’t happen,” he added.
De La Cruz’s 67 stolen bases in 2024 led all of Major League Baseball, but his impact goes beyond speed.
The All-Star became the first shortstop in MLB history to record 25+ home runs and 65+ stolen bases in a season. He also set a record as the fastest player to reach 100 stolen bases and 100 extra-base hits (251 games, breaking Juan Samuel’s previous mark of 253). Additionally, he joined elite company—Vince Coleman (217 SB, 1985-86) and Rickey Henderson (133 SB, 1979-80)—as one of only three players in the Modern Era (since 1900) to steal 100+ bases in their first two seasons.