Elly De La Cruz Joins Elite Company with 20-60 Achievement
In a game full of milestones, Elly De La Cruz stamped his name in the annals of MLB history with his 60th stolen base of the season. This achievement not only underscores his breakout season but also places him among the elite few who have managed the 20-60 feat—20 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a single season.
De La Cruz, the 22-year-old sensation playing shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, hit this milestone during a recent game in Toronto. Despite not having stolen a base since August 8, De La Cruz's speed and agility were on full display, propelling him to join a small, storied group of baseball legends.
To put his accomplishment in perspective, the 20-60 club is a particularly exclusive one. It includes Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson and Joe Morgan, as well as the Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. Henderson, known for his unprecedented combination of power and speed, managed this feat multiple times throughout his illustrious career. Joe Morgan, another Hall of Famer, redefined the second baseman position in the 1970s with his dual-threat capabilities. More recently, Acuña Jr. joined the club in 2023, reaffirming that this milestone remains a high bar for current players.
Elly De La Cruz has now cemented his place in this illustrious circle. The 2024 season has already seen him hit 21 home runs, combining raw power with deft base running to lead the majors in stolen bases. His versatility and skill set are a throwback to the kind of multi-faceted players who dominated earlier eras of the sport.
Only eight seasons in MLB history have featured a player achieving the 20-60 milestone. Five of those seasons were accomplished by players who have since been enshrined in the Hall of Fame. This speaks volumes about the difficulty and prestige associated with such an accomplishment. The last time anyone approached another elite stolen base marker—80 steals—was in 1988, a feat accomplished by both Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman.
As of the current date, August 21, Elly De La Cruz's place in MLB lore seems secure. His combination of power and speed has made him a standout in a sport that prizes such dual threats. The three MVPs who are part of the 20-60 club—Joe Morgan (1976), Rickey Henderson (1990), and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023)—underscore the kind of performance one must deliver to achieve such a rare milestone. De La Cruz's name now sits alongside these titans of the game, perhaps hinting at the kind of future accolades that may come his way.
In a season full of remarkable achievements and standout performances, Elly De La Cruz's 60th stolen base shines particularly bright. As Reds fans and baseball enthusiasts across the country celebrate this milestone, one thing is clear: De La Cruz is not just a young player with potential; he is, by every measure, a rising star who has already started to etch his legacy in the storied history of Major League Baseball.