The National League MVP race ended with Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong taking the award in a landslide on Thursday, collecting all 30 first-place votes. But the Reds still had reason to take notice when the ballots were revealed.
Elly De La Cruz finished fourth in the voting, a strong showing that reflects the best all-around season of his career in 2026. The Reds shortstop picked up 10 third-place votes, three fourth-place votes, six fifth-place votes, three sixth-place votes, and five seventh-place votes. Shohei Ohtani was second, with Brice Turang of the Brewers landing third ahead of De La Cruz.
De La Cruz’s numbers tell the story of a player who took a major step forward. He hit a career-high 30 home runs, swiped 30 bases, posted a 142 OPS+, and finished with a career-best 5.5 bWAR.
His work on defense also improved, with his error total dropping to 18. The advanced metrics backed up the breakout, too: he ranked in the 97th percentile in batting run value, while his outs above average and arm strength both sat in the 91st percentile.
Most of his hard-hit numbers checked in at the 90th percentile or better.
That 30-homer, 30-steal season also put De La Cruz in rare Reds company. He became the fourth Cincinnati hitter to reach the 30/30 mark, joining Brandon Phillips, Barry Larkin, and Eric Davis.
The 24-year-old has gotten better in every season of his four-year major league career, and this latest leap pushed him into the MVP conversation in a real way.
Reds rookie Sal Stewart also showed up on the ballot, finishing 22nd in MVP voting after receiving a seventh-place vote. No other Rookie of the Year finalist earned any votes.
Stewart’s first season was one for the record books, as he became just the fourth rookie in MLB history to hit at least 30 home runs with 110 or more RBI. He also joined a very short list by becoming only the second rookie ever to post 30-plus homers, 110-plus RBI and 15 stolen bases, alongside Jose Canseco.
Stewart had already been honored earlier in the week, when he won Rookie of the Year with 20 first-place votes over Mets outfielder Carson Benge. Benge and Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt were the only other players to receive first-place votes.
For the Reds, the individual recognition was real. The team’s 2026 season was not, finishing with just 75 wins and last place in the NL Central after reaching the postseason in 2025. Still, De La Cruz and Stewart give Cincinnati two dangerous bats to build around, and the next step is clear: the lineup around them has to get better.
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