Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz set a remarkable franchise record against the Rockies on Monday.
With his steal of third base in the bottom of the first, De La Cruz set a team mark with his 45th stolen base before the All-Star break.
The Reds second-year shortstop, who made his MLB debut on June 6, 2023, entered the game with 43 stolen bases.
After a five-pitch walk, De La Cruz stole second base for No. 44 after Rockies catcher Elias Diaz lobbed the ball back to pitcher Ryan Feltner.
He tried for his 46th steal later in the first after Diaz threw to second to prevent Reds outfielder Spencer Steer from advancing, but De La Cruz was caught at the plate.
Per Underdog Fantasy’s Justin Havens, De La Cruz became just the third player in MLB history with at least 45 stolen bases and 10 home runs before the All-Star break, joining Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson (1986) and six-time All-Star Kenny Lofton (1994).
With just over a year of major league experience, De La Cruz has already established himself as one of the most electrifying baserunners. According to data from Baseball Savant, he ranks in the 96th percentile in baserunning run value (two) and the 99th percentile in sprint speed (30.1 feet per second).
He already has 16 more steals than Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, who is second this season with 29, putting him on track to become the first Reds player since Bobby Tolan (1970) to lead the NL in stolen bases.