De La Cruz Reaches 30-30 With Nowhere Left to Go

Elly De La Cruz has quietly put together one of the more notable individual seasons in Cincinnati this year, reaching the 30-30 threshold — 13 home runs and 45 RBI in 71 games represent only part of the picture, with his stolen base total pushing him into that select company. It is a legitimate milestone for a young shortstop still establishing himself as one of the more electric presences in the National League.

The timing is what it is. The Reds sit 72-78, 10 games behind the last wild card with an elimination number of 1 and 12 games left to play. Seven players are on the injured list, Chase Burns is shut down for the year, and the rotation behind him has posted ERAs well north of 5.00 across the board. The offense has scored 3.5 runs per game over the last 10, down more than two runs from the prior stretch.

De La Cruz's season stands on its own. The team's does not.