The Cincinnati Reds may be out of the postseason, but Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart are giving the franchise plenty to look forward to.
The young stars reached another milestone Friday, becoming the first pair of Reds teammates age 24 or younger to each record at least 30 home runs in the same season. The achievement came during Cincinnati’s 6-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
De La Cruz added another piece of history to his season Friday, stealing third base for his 30th stolen base. That made him only the fourth player in Reds history to record a 30-homer, 30-steal season, joining Brandon Phillips, Barry Larkin and Eric Davis.
De La Cruz reached 30 home runs Thursday against the Atlanta Braves before completing the 30/30 milestone Friday. He has been especially productive late in the season, batting .391 with a 1.205 OPS over a 30-game stretch entering Friday.
Stewart has been just as important to Cincinnati’s young core. The 22-year-old became only the second Reds rookie to hit 30 home runs, joining Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. He also reached 100 RBIs earlier in the season.
The timing makes the accomplishment even more notable. Cincinnati entered the final weekend eliminated from postseason contention, leaving the club to focus on finishing the year and building toward 2027.
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De La Cruz and Stewart have provided two of the clearest reasons for optimism. De La Cruz has combined power and speed in one of the most productive seasons of his young career, while Stewart has established himself as a major offensive contributor in his first full season.
The Reds still have work to do after a disappointing year, but their two young hitters have made sure the season will not be remembered only for what went wrong.
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