Elly De La Cruz has done something only two players in Cincinnati Reds history have ever done twice: reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season. The shortstop achieved the milestone for the second consecutive year in 2026, making him the third player in franchise history to repeat the 20/20 benchmark and cementing his place among the most dynamic players this organization has ever produced.
Elly De La Cruz Joins Exclusive Reds 20 HR/20 SB Club
The 20 home run/20 stolen base combination is a genuine dual-threat benchmark — it demands power at the plate and speed on the bases at levels most big leaguers never reach in a single season, let alone back to back. De La Cruz not only cleared it in 2025 but has now done it again in 2026, reaching the threshold once more to enter territory shared by just two other players in the long history of this franchise.
What This Means Going Forward
De La Cruz is 23 years old and producing at a historically rare level for this organization. Repeating a 20/20 season is hard. Doing it before your mid-20s is the kind of performance that defines a player's trajectory. The Reds have a legitimate cornerstone at shortstop, and the numbers are making the case without any embellishment needed.
- De La Cruz has now hit at least 20 home runs in consecutive seasons in 2026
- He has also recorded at least 20 stolen bases in each of those seasons
- He is the third player in Cincinnati Reds franchise history to accomplish the 20 HR/20 SB combination in back-to-back seasons
The milestone was confirmed Monday, August 10, 2026. Watch for De La Cruz to keep pushing those totals as the second half rolls on at Great American Ball Park and on the road.
