Elly De La Cruz’s breakout year just got another line on the résumé.
The Reds announced Wednesday night that De La Cruz was named to the All-MLB Second Team at shortstop as part of the 2026 All-MLB Awards, giving him one of the sport’s top individual honors after the best season of his career.
Cincinnati highlighted the season in an email to fans, noting that De La Cruz “posted his best season in the majors this year, becoming just the fourth player in Reds history to reach 30-plus homers and 30-plus stolen bases in the same season,” and adding: “Elly finished with a .283/.365/.515 slash line to go along with 30 homers, 30 doubles, 99 runs scored, 72 RBIs and 30 steals.”
What makes the recognition a little more surprising is that De La Cruz wasn’t an All-Star this season. He had a case, but his strongest stretch came after the break, when he turned in his best baseball of the year.
In the first half, he hit .274/.347/.492 with 33 extra-base hits. Then he caught fire in the second half, slashing .293/.385/.543 with 32 extra-base hits.
The numbers backed up the eye test, too. De La Cruz finished with career highs in both 5.5 bWAR and a .880 OPS. At 24, he has already been asked to carry a heavy offensive load in his four big league seasons, and the Reds still need to build more around him.
That task falls to a front office that knows the offseason work is only beginning. Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, “We need to add some more starting pitching,” Krall said.
“We’ve got to find a catcher, whether it’s Tyler [Stephenson] or a replacement for Tyler. We need to bolster our bullpen and rework the guys we have in there and figure out how we can get better.”
The roster still has plenty of gaps to close, and the climb back to contention remains steep. The Reds haven’t won a postseason series since 1995 and haven’t won a postseason game since 2012.
Fans are past the point of wanting explanations. Now the pressure is on Krall, the front office, and ownership to deliver a team that can win.
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 🡒]