Elly De La Cruz has officially joined Major League Baseball’s 30-30 club.
The Cincinnati Reds shortstop recorded his 30th stolen base of the 2026 season against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 25, giving him at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season for the first time in his career.
De La Cruz reached the milestone one day after hitting his 30th home run. He became only the fourth player in Cincinnati Reds history to produce a 30-30 season, joining Eric Davis, Barry Larkin and Brandon Phillips. [MLB] [AP]
How Did Elly De La Cruz Reach 30-30?
De La Cruz entered Cincinnati’s September 25 game against Toronto with exactly 30 home runs and 29 stolen bases.
He didn’t wait long to get the steal he needed.
In the top of the third inning, De La Cruz hit a two-run double that gave Cincinnati the lead. With Sal Stewart batting next, De La Cruz took off for third base on Blue Jays pitcher José Soriano’s first pitch.
Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk made the throw, but De La Cruz beat it with a headfirst slide for stolen base No. 30. [MLB]
The steal officially gave De La Cruz the first 30-30 season of his career.
Watch Elly De La Cruz Get His 30th Stolen Base
MLB has video of De La Cruz stealing third base to complete his 30-30 season.
What Is The 30-30 Club?
The 30-30 club consists of players who hit at least 30 home runs and steal at least 30 bases during the same MLB season.
It is a notable power-speed achievement because reaching either milestone requires a different offensive skill. A player must possess enough power to hit 30 home runs while also having the speed, baserunning ability and opportunities necessary to steal at least 30 bases.
Players including Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani have recorded 30-30 seasons during their careers.
Which Reds Players Have Had 30-30 Seasons?
De La Cruz became the fourth player in Cincinnati Reds history to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season. [MLB]
- Eric Davis, 1987: 37 home runs, 50 stolen bases
- Barry Larkin, 1996: 33 home runs, 36 stolen bases
- Brandon Phillips, 2007: 30 home runs, 32 stolen bases
- Elly De La Cruz, 2026: 30+ home runs, 30+ stolen bases
De La Cruz ended a 19-year drought for Cincinnati. Phillips had been the most recent Reds player to accomplish the feat, reaching 30-30 in 2007.
The other three players in the group are members of the Reds Hall of Fame, while Larkin is also a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. [MLB]
Is This Elly De La Cruz’s First 30-30 Season?
Yes. De La Cruz had previously demonstrated elite stolen-base ability but had never combined 30 steals with 30 home runs.
He came relatively close during his first full major-league season in 2024. De La Cruz hit 25 home runs while leading MLB with 67 stolen bases.
He followed that with 22 home runs and 37 steals in 2025.
His 2026 season flipped the equation. His stolen-base total declined substantially, but his power increased enough for him to reach 30 home runs for the first time.
How Did Elly De La Cruz Get To 30 Home Runs?
De La Cruz needed a strong late-season power surge to reach the milestone.
On September 22 against the Atlanta Braves, he hit his 29th home run and also stole his 29th base. That left him one short in both categories. [MLB]
Two days later, De La Cruz hit home run No. 30 against former Reds pitcher Tyler Mahle in Atlanta.
The homer was his ninth of September, the most home runs by a switch-hitter in a calendar month in Reds history. De La Cruz was also batting .391 with a 1.205 OPS over a 30-game stretch beginning August 22. [MLB]
That left him with only one remaining requirement for 30-30: one stolen base.
How Did Elly De La Cruz Get To 30 Stolen Bases?
De La Cruz’s final push toward 30 steals happened quickly.
He stole his 29th base against Atlanta on September 22 after drawing a first-inning walk. Three days later in Toronto, he doubled and immediately attacked the final milestone.
Rather than waiting for another opportunity later in the game or series, De La Cruz attempted to steal third on the first pitch to the next batter.
He beat Kirk’s throw and reached the milestone with two games still remaining on Cincinnati’s regular-season schedule. [MLB]
Is Elly De La Cruz The Second Reds Shortstop With A 30-30 Season?
Yes.
De La Cruz joins Barry Larkin as the two Reds shortstops to produce 30-30 seasons.
Larkin’s 1996 season was particularly significant because he became the first shortstop in MLB history to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season.
Larkin finished that year with 33 home runs and 36 stolen bases. De La Cruz joined him 30 years later. [MLB]
Did An Injury Make De La Cruz’s 30-30 Season More Impressive?
De La Cruz reached the milestone despite missing significant time earlier in the season with a right hamstring strain.
The injury sidelined him for roughly three weeks in June and cost him opportunities to accumulate both home runs and stolen bases.
Reds manager Terry Francona praised the way De La Cruz played through physical issues during the season. MLB noted that without the missed time, De La Cruz might have had an opportunity to make a run at an even rarer 40-home run, 40-stolen base season. [MLB]
What Did Elly De La Cruz Say About Going 30-30?
De La Cruz called reaching the milestone “really special” after the game.
He acknowledged that Cincinnati’s season had not gone the way the team wanted but said reaching 30-30 represented a significant individual accomplishment. [Sportsnet]
His milestone came during a disappointing season for Cincinnati as a team. The Reds had already been eliminated from postseason contention before the final series in Toronto.
Did The Reds Win When Elly De La Cruz Reached 30-30?
No. De La Cruz’s historic night ended with a Cincinnati loss.
The Reds built a lead against Toronto, but the Blue Jays rallied to win 6-5. De La Cruz nevertheless contributed significantly at the plate, with his two-run double immediately preceding the stolen base that completed his 30-30 season. [AP]
Could Elly De La Cruz Eventually Have A 40-40 Season?
De La Cruz’s combination of power and speed makes 40-40 an obvious future milestone to watch, although reaching it would require significant increases over his 2026 totals.
His previous seasons show that he has already demonstrated each half of that combination separately.
De La Cruz stole 67 bases in 2024, more than double the 40 required for a 40-40 season. In 2026, he reached 30 home runs for the first time despite missing several weeks with a hamstring injury.
He has therefore demonstrated 40-steal speed and increasing home-run power, but he has not yet reached 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases during the same season.
Elly De La Cruz’s 30-30 Milestone At A Glance
- Player: Elly De La Cruz
- Team: Cincinnati Reds
- Season: 2026
- 30th home run: September 24 vs. Atlanta Braves
- 30th stolen base: September 25 vs. Toronto Blue Jays
- How he got No. 30: Stole third base after hitting a two-run double
- Career 30-30 seasons: 1
- Reds player to reach 30-30: 4th
- Previous Reds 30-30 players: Eric Davis, Barry Larkin and Brandon Phillips
- Previous Reds 30-30 season: Brandon Phillips in 2007
De La Cruz entered Cincinnati’s final series needing only one stolen base to complete the milestone. He needed less than three innings to get it.
After hitting his first career 30th home run on September 24, De La Cruz stole third base the following night to officially become a 30-30 player and join one of the most exclusive groups in Cincinnati Reds history.
