Elly De La Cruz has taken a real step forward in 2026, and the numbers make it plain. He was already the Reds’ most electric player in 2025, when he led Cincinnati in runs scored with 102, home runs with 22, RBIs with 86, stolen bases with 37 and total bases with 277.
He also led the club in errors with 26, and that total put him atop all of Major League Baseball. But this season, the growth has shown up in more places than just the box score.
One of the clearest signs is how often De La Cruz is barreling the baseball. Statcast classifies a hard-hit ball as one struck at 95 mph or harder, and in 2025 he posted a 44.2% hard-hit rate, which placed him in the 44th percentile.
This year, that number has jumped to 52.6%, a mark that puts him in the 95th percentile. In other words, he’s now driving the ball at elite levels on more than half of his batted balls.
He’s also made a major leap against left-handed pitching. De La Cruz finished 2025 with a .618 OPS versus lefties, but in 2026 he’s sitting on a 1.062 OPS.
Last year against left-handers, he managed five home runs and 26 RBIs in 114 games. This season, he’s up to nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 81 games.
That’s a serious jump in production.
The improvement hasn’t been limited to the batter’s box. De La Cruz has tightened things up defensively as well.
His Outs Above Average has gone from -3 in 2025 to +7 in 2026, moving him from the 22nd percentile to the 93rd percentile. He’s also trimmed his errors, with 18 in 116 games this season.
That could mean 2026 is the first year he doesn’t lead the Majors in errors since his rookie year in 2026.
At 24 years old, De La Cruz is still early in his professional career, and 2026 is shaping up as a clear next level.
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