Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) gestures to the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the third inning of the MLB game between Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati Reds Superstar Talent on Verge of Incredible Major League History

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated May 17, 2025 8:32 AM ET

The Cincinnati Reds kicked off "rivalry weekend" in style, beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-4 at Great American Ball Park on Friday night.

Brady Singer went five innings, giving up three earned runs, to get the win while Will Benson and Austin Hays each hit home runs.

Elly De La Cruz went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base, his 15th of the year. According to @OptaSTATS, De La Cruz is nearing some exclusive history that he'd occupy all by himself.

Elly De La Cruz is four hits away from reaching 300 hits, 150 RBI and 100 stolen bases for his career in fewer games than any other player since RBI became official in 1920.
He’s entering his 304th game of his career. The record is 328 games by Hanley Ramirez.

Elly De La Cruz is four hits away from reaching 300 hits, 150 RBI and 100 stolen bases for his career in fewer games than any other player since RBI became official in 1920.
He’s entering his 304th game of his career. The record is 328 games by Hanley Ramirez. pic.twitter.com/dIWzufIhxC
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 16, 2025

That note was put out before Friday's game, so De La Cruz is just three hits away from 300 now. In his third season, De La Cruz is hitting .257 with eight homers, 31 RBIs and those 15 steals. He's a career .251 hitter with 46 home runs and is the centerpiece of the Reds young and talented lineup.

The two teams will play again on Saturday night with first pitch coming at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Reds will start reliever Brent Suter, with him serving as an opener. They'll turn the game over then to a starter in Chase Petty.

The Guardians will counter with right-hander Slade Cecconi, who is making his team debut. He was acquired this past offseason from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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