The Cincinnati Reds have spent the stretch since August 17 going 13-19, and that slide has pushed them toward the bottom of the National League standings. Through it all, Elly De La Cruz has done his part and then some.
Over that same span, De La Cruz has been one of the hottest hitters in the league. The Reds shortstop is batting .366/.443/.650 with eight home runs, six stolen bases, and a 195 wRC+. In just about every offensive category that matters, he’s been carrying the club since mid-August.
The production has been massive. De La Cruz has piled up 2.4 fWAR in that stretch, the second-most among all position players behind presumptive NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong.
But that’s where the support ends. Every other Reds hitter combined has produced just 0.1 fWAR during the same run.
That split says plenty about the shape of this roster. De La Cruz is playing at a star level, but the Reds simply haven’t built enough around him to turn that into wins. It’s a glaring reminder of how far they still are from hanging with the best teams in the National League.
Sal Stewart has helped. He’s posted a 117 wRC+ and 0.5 fWAR.
Eugenio Suárez has chipped in with an .819 OPS and 0.4 fWAR. Dane Myers has also been useful, putting up a 122 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR to become one of the more dependable bats in that span.
But the drop-off after that has been brutal. Matt McLain, Jose Trevino, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Edwin Arroyo, JJ Bleday, and Noelvi Marte have all been on the negative side of the WAR ledger. Among that group, Bleday’s 69 wRC+ is the best mark.
De La Cruz and Stewart can only do so much. When the rest of the lineup isn’t producing - at the plate or in the field - it’s hard to win consistently. The Reds don’t need a total teardown, but they do need far more from the players around their best hitters if they want to keep up in the National League race.
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