Elly De La Cruz's Key to 2026 Breakout is Simpler Than Reds Fans Think

Elly De La Cruz has been one of the more exciting players in baseball since he entered the league a few years ago. He has incredible power and speed. His athleticism is tremendous, too. De La Cruz doesn't lack charisma, which has allowed the younger audience to fall in love with him.

But last season, while dealing with a leg injury, De La Cruz struggled during the second half of the year. His defense wasn't good. He couldn't steal as many bases. And his power was seemingly zapped from his body. This all stemmed from a leg injury that he likely shouldn't have been playing through, but it caused some fans to grow restless with his inconsistent production.

This season, De La Cruz is off to an incredibly hot start, and the key to his future is consistency.

Elly De La Cruz's Key to his 2026 Breakout is Consistency

May 13, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) advances to second base on a fly ball hit for an out against the Washington Nationals in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

“On the other side, it was always like, ‘OK, he’s such a dynamic player.’ It’s explosive. It’s spurts of, ‘Oh my gosh, he hit that ball so hard.’ Or, ‘Wow, he was first to third in seven steps,’ blah, blah, blah,” Reds first baseman Nathaniel Lowe said, via The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. “It was always like the highlight type plays.

“But the more I’m around him now, he understands the consistency is what’s going to make him great. The highs are obviously really high. But his lows need to be at a higher standard if he’s going to be the No. 1 shortstop when it’s time to get paid.”

On the season, De La Cruz is slashing .295/.356/.520 with 10 home runs, nine doubles, and nine stolen bases. But he's gotten this far by staying consistent.

He began the year 4-for-20 at the plate in six games in March, but he had two home runs, so he still had an OPS over .800. In the month of April, he slashed .298/.365/.577 with eight home runs and eight stolen bases. This raised his OPS to well over .900 through a month of the season. So far in May, he's hitting for less power, as he hasn't homered this month, but his batting average is .327 in 49 at-bats.

On defense, De La Cruz is making the routine play, and he's making it look easy. He's making spectacular plays, too, which is what makes him such a dynamic player, but he's slowing the game down and making the easy ones look as easy as they should. This sounds simple, but it's something he struggled to do in his first few seasons.

If he can keep this consistency rolling, the Reds will have the true superstar that De La Cruz could be on their hands already.

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