Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) prepares to bat in the first inning between Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Albert Cesare/ The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Elly De La Cruz Joins Hall of Famer Barry Larkin in Rare Cincinnati Reds History

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 7:48 PM ET

With a 2-for-4 performance on Thursday afternoon against the Miami Marlins, Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz joined some rare team history.

According to Francisco Rijo, De La Cruz has joined Hall of Famer Barry Larkin as the only players in team history to have 100 hits in a season before the All-Star break.

Elly De La Cruz, se une a Barry Larkin como los dos únicos SS de la franquicia, en pegar 100 Hits antes de la pausa del All-Star.

Cc. @hgomez27 pic.twitter.com/LKZLi0RF1P
— Francisco A. Rijo (@rijo3030) July 10, 2025

Considering Larkin is one of the best players in team history, this is a great accomplishment for De La Cruz, who is one of the most talented players in the game.

Larkin was a 19-year veteran, spending every season with the Reds. A lifetime .295 hitter, he was a 12-time All-Star, a nine-time Silver Slugger, a three-time Gold Glover, an MVP and a World Series champion (1990).

He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012. He registered 2,340 hits and 198 home runs. He drove in 960 runs.

As for De La Cruz, he's continued to show even more improvement this season, hitting .280 with a .351 on-base percentage. He's got 18 home runs, 63 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. He's going to represent the Reds at the All-Star Game for the second consecutive season.

In addition to the history for De La Cruz, the Reds also beat Miami 6-0. With the win, they've moved to 48-46 on the season. The Reds haven't made the playoffs since the COVID 2020 season and are currently on the outside-looking-in of the playoff picture .

They'll be back in action on Friday night at home against the Colorado Rockies (7:10 p.m. ET).

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

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