Elly De La Cruz came up just short in the National League MVP race, finishing fourth in the voting released Thursday night by Major League Baseball and the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Pete Crow-Armstrong took the award in a landslide, collecting all 30 first-place votes. Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers was second, followed by Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers. De La Cruz, the Cincinnati Reds shortstop, landed right behind them.
The 24-year-old’s final placement came despite a season that looked like a breakthrough in almost every meaningful way. De La Cruz was not named to the All-Star team in 2026, with an injury that sent him to the injured list for more than three weeks in June likely hurting his chances. Even so, he put together what was arguably the strongest year of his career.
In 143 games, De La Cruz hit .283/.365/.515, all career highs. He also set a personal best with 30 home runs, while adding 30 doubles and 30 stolen bases.
That pushed him into one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs: he became just the 8th shortstop in MLB history to post 30 homers and 30 steals in the same season. It also gave the Reds a unique distinction, as Cincinnati became the first and so far only franchise with two shortstops to do it, joining Barry Larkin in 1996.
The voting breakdown shows just how much respect De La Cruz earned across the league. Each of the 30 writers submitted top-10 ballots, and De La Cruz picked up 10 third-place votes, more than any other player received for that spot.
The two Cincinnati voters were Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer and C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.
Wittenmyer placed De La Cruz fifth, while Rosecrans had him fourth.
Not every ballot included him, though. Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Rick Cerrone of Baseball Digest left De La Cruz off entirely.
In Other News...
Elly De La Cruz Just Gave Reds Fans A New Debate
Sal Stewarts Rookie of the Year season gave the Reds a new offensive centerpiece, but the conversation around Cincinnatis infield got a little more interesting when the All-MLB teams were announced. Elly De La Cruz landed on the Second Team at shortstop, a recognition that still puts him among the games elite and keeps his name in the same breath as the best players at the position.
Bobby Witt Jr. took the First Team spot, which is where the debate starts for Reds fans who have watched De La Cruzs all-around impact grow. He finished second among shortstops in batting average and led the group in slugging percentage and OPS, a combination that only adds fuel to the argument about where he belongs on the sports top tier. Meanwhile, Tejay Antones comeback after his third Tommy John surgery was one of the years better feel-good stories in Cincinnati, even if his return to 58 games did not land him among the National League comeback player finalists. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Krall Just Raised An Uncomfortable Elly De La Cruz Question
Emilio Pagns decision to opt out and reportedly land with the Detroit Tigers only adds to an offseason that already has the Reds juggling a few important roster questions. Cincinnati has several key free agents to sort through, but the biggest one hanging over the front office is still Elly De La Cruz, the dynamic centerpiece who gives the club its most electric presence and, in many ways, its clearest path forward.
Nick Krall said the Reds want to keep De La Cruz long-term, which is the easy part of the conversation. The harder part is the one he left open by not shutting the door on a future trade, even while saying there have been no trade talks this offseason. For a team trying to balance present ambition with long-term control, that leaves De La Cruz as both the obvious answer and the uncomfortable question. [Read more 🡒]
Former Reds Coach Derek Johnson Just Took An Unexpected Next Step
Derek Johnsons next stop came together faster than many around the Reds likely expected. The longtime pitching coach, who was recently replaced in Cincinnati, has landed with the New York Mets in an advisory role, giving him a new home in the game after his stint with the Reds ended following a leave of absence during the 2023 season.
The setup in New York is a little different from the grind Johnson had in Cincinnati. His new position does not require daily travel with the club, which makes it a more flexible arrangement as he remains part of a major league organization without the full-time demands of a traditional dugout job. For a Reds team moving on from a familiar voice in its pitching room, it is another reminder of how quickly the coaching carousel can turn. [Read more 🡒]