Elly De La Cruz’s sudden slump threatens Reds’ playoff push

While the Cincinnati Reds surge toward an unlikely wild-card berth, their two-time All-Star Elly De La Cruz has hit a baffling cold spell.

On paper, his season numbers still shine (he boasts a .266 average with 19 homers and 34 steals — entering play on Friday). However, the superstar shortstop’s production has cratered in recent weeks. Over his past 36 games, De La Cruz has managed just a .214 average, five steals and, most alarmingly, zero home runs. His last long ball came back on July 31 against Carlos Carrasco and the Braves.

How did one of baseball’s brightest young talents, who averaged 0.17 homers per game through his first 110 contests in 2025, go ice-cold so suddenly? A closer look reveals three clear trends.

1. Fewer fastballs, more breaking stuff

In June, De La Cruz saw a steady diet of heaters. Since July 1, however, only 46.9% of the pitches he’s faced have been fastballs. This is the second-lowest rate among 85 players with 750 or more pitches seen.

This shift matters. Twelve of his 19 homers this year have come off fastballs, along with his best batting average against any pitch type. By contrast, he’s hit just five homers off breaking balls and two against off-speed pitches. Last season, 19 of his 25 home runs also came off fastballs.

Opponents have identified the weakness and adjusted accordingly.

2. Plate discipline collapse

The approach at the plate has also unraveled. Through his first 110 games, De La Cruz posted a solid 2.32 strikeout-to-walk ratio (116 K, 50 BB). Over his last 36 games, that number has exploded to 6.86 (48 K, 7 BB).

The result? His slash line has tumbled:

• First 110 games: .285 / .363 / .489
• Last 36 games: .214 / .257 / .305

De La Cruz has always been streaky, but this stretch combines a steady diet of breaking pitches with worsening discipline. This has proven to be a brutal mix for the 23-year-old hitter.

3. Lingering quad injury

Finally, reports suggest De La Cruz is battling a quad issue, which has clearly sapped his explosiveness. After leading the league with 67 steals in 2024, he has just 34 in 2025 with 15 games to go.

The quad isn’t just about speed. The muscle is also critical for generating torque and transferring power at the plate. Former sluggers like Adam LaRoche also saw power outages traced back to similar injuries.

For Cincinnati to erase its 1.5-game wild-card deficit, De La Cruz must find a way to snap out of this slump. If the Reds do reach October, their hopes of making noise rest squarely on the shoulders of their electrifying, if suddenly struggling, shortstop.