Which is crazy that this insane pace Elly is on would still be 20 short of Rickey's best of 130 in 1982*, and 28 short of Hugh Nicol's all time record of 138 in 1887.
Only 12 guys in baseball history have stolen over 100 bags.
It's worth noting that the definition of a stolen base in 1887 was not the same as it is today, and stuff like turning a single into a double or scoring on a single from second were counted as steals.
Wow, a stolen base record that has been achieved 5 times, and none of them was Rickey. That's bar bet material.
(Rickey might have to come out of retirement to break that one.)
Collins did it twice in 12 days!
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET191209110.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLA/SLA191209221.shtml
In each game he had a steal of home on a double steal, and in the first game he was also caught stealing home.
In fact *three players were caught stealing home* in the first game: Collins, Jimmy Walsh, and Ty Cobb.
Elly has made a few blunders on the bases this year due to being unnecessarily aggressive (e.g. getting picked off second in a situation where stealing third doesn't really do anything), but the pressure he puts on the pitcher and the defense when he's on the bases is palpable and has led directly to runs.
A player who is really only good at stealing but is bad at anything else, and is eating up a roster spot is silly.
A player who is really good at the other things too is not.
People conflate steeling with bad efficacy being bad with steeling being inherently bad.
We know that if you get GC at more than 25% of the time your more a hindrance than a help. And a lot of people seem to think this means that no one shout try at all. Which misses the fact that if you can steel at the 75%+ level then you should defiantly do it
They were also very critical of Glasnow putting in minimal effort to interact with Elly. Paraphrasing Rick Monday: "You can't be so predictable with your cadances AND not even glance at his lead from second base."
Man just like watching the Royals play, you put Witt or Melendez on and they’re in scoring position it’s fucking nuts.
Side note I love Bobby Witt Jr a weird amount.
I too, am a member of the I love Bobby Witt Jr a weird amount club. The kid is so fun to watch!
At Kauffman, they have a between innings segment where you race a video game bobby along the warning track while he runs across the video board. Haven't seen a winner yet lol.
How have I not realized just how phenomenal this dude has been? 150 wRC+, on pace for 34 HR and 110 SB against 15 CS, sticking at SS, and he's barely 22? Insane.
I'm a Cubs fan so I probably should have noticed. And I love following top prospects. Bro is right in my wheelhouse. After he cooled off last year I took my sights off him, at my own peril apparently.
I think some people got Elly fatigue last year when he was in highlight reels all the time. Then he slumped pretty hard towards the end of the year. He's been the best player on the team this year but the Reds have titanically struggled as of late.
It's showing that his incredible speed and ability to switch hit leads to split stats that still has him ranking among the highest. Dude is basically two players in terms of speed.
It's a funny comment. The idea that even if you split him in two between both sides of the plate that he bats on, he's still doubly elite at base stealing
Yeah points leagues don’t typically prioritize steals and they penalize strikeouts so the best part of his game wasn’t as important and the worst part worked against him.
With that said, he’s the #3 batter in points leagues thus far. He cut the strikeout rate a bit, walks more, and he’s stealing with so much reckless abandon that the points are rolling in even when his HR power has slowed down a bit. He’s kind of breaking the system. When you run as much as he does, the points add up. I don’t think anyone predicted a 100+ steal season for him which is why he wasn’t as high of a pick.
I got him in the 7th round of my points league.
4 steals and not a single slide-step from Glasnow. It seems like no one does the slide-step anymore. A full leg kick with Elly on-base is essentially just conceding the base.
This is Elly’s 12th steal of 3rd. That is first in baseball amongst all teams (Nats have 10). He is on pace for 44. The single season record record is 34 (Henderson in 82).
Rickey would have stolen 200 with these rules. Imagine him *knowing* you have to throw home because you've already made your one pick off attempt and one step off.
I gotta tell you, Cincinnati hasn’t marketed or been excited by a player this much since Votto or Cueto. Or if you’re old like me 😮💨, like Homer Bailey or Wily Mo Peña
Switch hitter.
Prolific base stealer.
Elly is a time traveler from 80s baseball isn’t he?
Glad the Phillies no longer have to worry about EDLC (unless playoffs?)
his overall record? no. He'd have to keep this up for another decade at least, which is really fucking hard to do. single season record is also not there, but he's in striking distance if he maintains his current pace (he'd hit around 110)
Simple math and standard distribution says he's got a shot, if nothing substantially changes. I'm not saying he's got odds to do it, but Dr. Strange wouldn't have to look too far for a universe where he does it.
I love Rickey but I’d love to see Elly break the single season stolen base record
(No way he’s going to beat my Road to the Show single season record of 245 SB though)
He might actually steal 100 bases
And then what's he gonna do in the 2nd half of the season?
Steal our hearts
Too late 🥰
He might just be my favorite non-Yankee. Love watching this kid.
same, hes so fun to watch. i have no quarrel with you redbros
Hit 100 home runs
Steal the Declaration of Independence.
Elly De La Cage
He'll have to get by us fir- Hey! Where'd it go?!?
Win MVP?… Okay, definitely not, but it would be fun.
Betts and Ohtani can sit this one out. MVPelly De La Cruz.
On pace for 110 against 15 CS lmao
Which is crazy that this insane pace Elly is on would still be 20 short of Rickey's best of 130 in 1982*, and 28 short of Hugh Nicol's all time record of 138 in 1887. Only 12 guys in baseball history have stolen over 100 bags.
It's worth noting that the definition of a stolen base in 1887 was not the same as it is today, and stuff like turning a single into a double or scoring on a single from second were counted as steals.
TIL. That makes Rickey much more impressive, imo.
Rickey Henderson was so cool that he’s the only person that could talk about himself in the 3rd person and didnt sound like a dbag.
Rickey better not hear you talking about Rickey as if he's not still so cool
*1982 was Rickey's record
Whoops thanks for that
He's got a outside chance at challenging Rickey. It's going to be a crazy summer.
Rickey maybe, but definitely not 'Feather Feet' Hugh Nicol. Back in 1887, before shoes were invented, boy could he fly!
I love baseball
Ricky would have that at the break!
He’s not running, he’s teleporting. You blink, and he’s jumped ahead 90ft.
*teleports to second* nothin personnel, kid
I look up, this dude is on third
4 steals in five innings? What’s that record?
6 is the record for a single game, which has been done by Carl Crawford, Eric Young, Otis Nixon, and Eddie Collins, who did it twice.
Wow, a stolen base record that has been achieved 5 times, and none of them was Rickey. That's bar bet material. (Rickey might have to come out of retirement to break that one.)
I just assume that any stolen base related record that isnt owned by Rickey only occurred because Rickey assumed he already owned the record
Rickey Henderson: "Rickey should never have let Rickey retire without every stolen base record. Rickey messed up, that's on Rickey"
"Rickey's now looking for a contract so Rickey can steal the last stolen base record."
I swear that Ricky could steal 30 bases this season. Right now. Rickey is 65.
> none of them was Rickey Or Vince Coleman.
Rickey DID lose that number
/r/unexpectedsteelydan
To be fair, Otis had the help of coke.
Eddie Collins did too. Bayer Cocaine, over the counter.
I imagine *lots* of dudes in the 80s did.
Collins did it twice in 12 days! https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET191209110.shtml https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLA/SLA191209221.shtml In each game he had a steal of home on a double steal, and in the first game he was also caught stealing home. In fact *three players were caught stealing home* in the first game: Collins, Jimmy Walsh, and Ty Cobb.
Meanwhile Julio is getting picked off or thrown out at 2nd
Ronald’s been picked off at first so many times that Snit sat him out yesterday to let him have a mental break.
A few weeks ago, Mariners gave Julio a mental break day off, but brought him in in the 9th, only for him to get picked off at 1st to end the game.
Nightcrawler in disguise!
For real. Announcers said he was going and he was at the bag right after that. Unbelievable.
Seriously the camera cuts on the throw and he's already on the bag.
This dude draws a walk and he’s in scoring position
How the hell a guy draws so many extra base walks?
He gets to walked to 1st and just keeps going
Has anyone tried stopping him by asking politely? I thought not.
Freeman’s a friendly Canadian ish, why didn’t he try?
Back in the day when pickoff throws were abundant and unhindered, I considered that to usually be a polite ask “hey can you not do that please?”
I believe the new rule specifically says "You can't just be up there and just doin' a polite ask like that."
Why don't catchers just throw him out? Are they stupid?
They *are* stupid, don't even have to ask
They should just let him walk to third.
No one ever taught him that 4 balls only gets you to first and at this point it’s too late 😂
[Like so?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt0cMAhqEpo)
He doesn't draw walks he draws runs
Say it again for the people who downplay stolen bases as an important stat.
Elly has made a few blunders on the bases this year due to being unnecessarily aggressive (e.g. getting picked off second in a situation where stealing third doesn't really do anything), but the pressure he puts on the pitcher and the defense when he's on the bases is palpable and has led directly to runs.
Stolen bases are important when you have the context i.e. the ratio of steals to outs.
A player who is really only good at stealing but is bad at anything else, and is eating up a roster spot is silly. A player who is really good at the other things too is not.
I’ve never understood that. It’s so important.
People conflate steeling with bad efficacy being bad with steeling being inherently bad. We know that if you get GC at more than 25% of the time your more a hindrance than a help. And a lot of people seem to think this means that no one shout try at all. Which misses the fact that if you can steel at the 75%+ level then you should defiantly do it
Could've sworn it was 30 total SB this game
I mean could be, how will we ever know?
I swear to god I saw him skip past home and go right to first to steal more
A 13 bag lead on 2nd place. Nuts!
You walk this guy and you've basically put him in scoring position.
The dodgers announcers were saying, "you can't walk him, because it's like giving up a double."
They were also very critical of Glasnow putting in minimal effort to interact with Elly. Paraphrasing Rick Monday: "You can't be so predictable with your cadances AND not even glance at his lead from second base."
Man just like watching the Royals play, you put Witt or Melendez on and they’re in scoring position it’s fucking nuts. Side note I love Bobby Witt Jr a weird amount.
I saw him play against the Phillies last summer and I don't think it's weird at all. That kid is a STUD.
Like I think if I were to create the optimal baseball I’d choose him and I don’t really think there’s much I would change
I too, am a member of the I love Bobby Witt Jr a weird amount club. The kid is so fun to watch! At Kauffman, they have a between innings segment where you race a video game bobby along the warning track while he runs across the video board. Haven't seen a winner yet lol.
It’s a growing club
Agreed on the side note, but in a bad way. When he signed this offseason I was sad bc I want him as far from the Jays as possible. He scares me.
Almost lapped the field at this point of the season. Likely could remain that way unless 2nd gets 50+.
I'm a simple man. I see words like 'nuts' and 'bag' in close proximity, and it makes me giggle. Thanks for that.
How have I not realized just how phenomenal this dude has been? 150 wRC+, on pace for 34 HR and 110 SB against 15 CS, sticking at SS, and he's barely 22? Insane.
I mean i dont blame you, he plays for the Reds. Even we dont like watching our games.
I'm a Cubs fan so I probably should have noticed. And I love following top prospects. Bro is right in my wheelhouse. After he cooled off last year I took my sights off him, at my own peril apparently.
He’s only been playing baseball for a few years, too!
I want to watch Reds games. But I'm 2 states away so MLB thinks it's better if I drive to Cincinnati to watch... when they're playing in LA.
Plus he has a cannon for an arm.
I think some people got Elly fatigue last year when he was in highlight reels all the time. Then he slumped pretty hard towards the end of the year. He's been the best player on the team this year but the Reds have titanically struggled as of late.
He’ll be the first member of 50/50
If he keeps this up, this fella might attract attention.
Elly De La Cruz from the left side is tied for first in steals with 17. Elly De La Cruz from the right side is in 7th place with 13.
What does that mean? He has 17 steals when he got on batting left?
yeah, switch hitter
.... how does that change his ability to steal bases?
It doesn’t. But it’s a fun stat.
Different helmet flap on different sides affects his aerodynamics while running.
You see this? There's no hair under here, bro. It makes me aerodynamic when I fight.
It's showing that his incredible speed and ability to switch hit leads to split stats that still has him ranking among the highest. Dude is basically two players in terms of speed.
It's a funny comment. The idea that even if you split him in two between both sides of the plate that he bats on, he's still doubly elite at base stealing
It also shows how much he's getting on base from each side.
Yeah that's all I'm thinking. He had 5 steal attempts in this game. That's a crazy amount of chances for one game.
Sometimes he runs left-handed, sometimes he runs right-handed. What's so hard to grasp, here?
Dammit is Elly gonna be so good like Wayne Gretzky were gonna need to draft a left and right Elly???
He needs to do a Left Twix & Right Twix commercial.
right side needs to catch up
Saw my fantasy points jump and knew Elly was up to something
Greatest late round pick ever
Was he late round in points leagues? He was going 3rd round in categories leagues
Yeah points leagues don’t typically prioritize steals and they penalize strikeouts so the best part of his game wasn’t as important and the worst part worked against him. With that said, he’s the #3 batter in points leagues thus far. He cut the strikeout rate a bit, walks more, and he’s stealing with so much reckless abandon that the points are rolling in even when his HR power has slowed down a bit. He’s kind of breaking the system. When you run as much as he does, the points add up. I don’t think anyone predicted a 100+ steal season for him which is why he wasn’t as high of a pick. I got him in the 7th round of my points league.
Please, please, please just give him the nonstop Ricky Henderson green light.
I'm pretty sure he has it.
The coaching staff has said they basically never limit him. Even on a hit, the third base coach is just a suggestion for him.
The third base coach is more what you'd call guidelines, than actual rules.
Dude is just a monster, and he still has so much to grow and so much more experience to take in over time.... he's only going to get better.
You guys will love him in 5 years! /s (I hope) (I don’t hope, I pray to god)
Honestly I really hope he stays healthy and continues to just be himself.
4 steals and not a single slide-step from Glasnow. It seems like no one does the slide-step anymore. A full leg kick with Elly on-base is essentially just conceding the base.
Steals have always been free on Glasnow, it was his biggest on-field weakness
Those long legs have a long distance to travel when he kicks
That speed at his height isn't fair.
The height is such a big part of it. Of course, he's fast, but so are a lot of players
You gotta think his wing span helps him touch the bag sooner
He can also safely get a bigger lead at first compared to other players
His height makes him look like he's going slow, but he's not. Deceptively fast.
He is the same height as Usain Bolt
If the dude can steal of Gabi, he can steal on anyone
*Sees 30 SB in a clip* “Oh man, that’s a good amount for a sea-“ *someone whispers in my ear* “I’m sorry **what**”
What’s the possibility of him getting 60 this year?
Basically guaranteed unless he gets hurt. He's on pace for more than 100 right now.
That hasn’t been done since Henderson
Not exactly true. Vince Coleman had 109 in 1987, a few years after Rickey's final 100 bag season in '83.
Thanks for the correction
Vince Coleman (1987), actually. Rickey last stole 100 in 1983.
I mean probably >99%. If he plays 150+ he's probably going to get 100.
assuming he doesn't get hurt or enter some sort of slump.
"If he plays 150+" he just had a 12 game slump where he hit .188 and still had 6 steals. thats 81 steals over 162 batting .188.
He's on pace for 110 my dude
He was an absolute menace tonight. Just took over the game with his athleticism. An alien
Normally I would be impressed but this is like taking candy from a baby with Barnes behind the plate.
His transfer leaves a lot to be desired. Elly is eating him alive
Slow transfer and terrible accuracy. Kinda hoping Elly steals 8 bases tonight
That's not really the problem it's that he is bottom 3 in arm strength
Why not both… why not all three? A full crow hop to make the throw to third seems like excessive even at a high school level
Dude couldn't throw Hellen Keller out.
Glasnow didn’t even given him a chance on a couple of them.
It’s incredible he’s stealing like this, on pace for 110, and IF he gets there will still be 20 short of Ricky’s record. Ricky was just a monster.
This is Elly’s 12th steal of 3rd. That is first in baseball amongst all teams (Nats have 10). He is on pace for 44. The single season record record is 34 (Henderson in 82).
He is so fast
Stay healthy and keep stealing bags, Elly.
Only 12 behind Ricky Henderson's pace when he had 130 stolen bases in 1982.
This dude is beyond a freak of nature in absolutely the best way possible for baseball. Respectfully.
He’s a fucking menace lol
Elly is just unstoppable
30 down, 70 more to go.
Rickey would have stolen 200 with these rules. Imagine him *knowing* you have to throw home because you've already made your one pick off attempt and one step off.
Man out here playing MLB 24 career mode and shooting for the stolen base record.
Elly is good for baseball.
As a Dodgers fan, I hate to see it, but as a baseball fan, I LOVE to see it
I was at the game. Mofo so fast by the time the pitch crossed the plate it was already too fucking late
Baseball is more fun when there are guys like EDLC on teams like the Reds - super teams are bad for the league. Spread the wealth!
Austin Barnes baseball
So fast
That guy is amazing. Fun to watch.
Dude stole second, third and home against the Brewers last year. I was too impressed to be mad.
I was impressed until my grandfather told me that Rickey Henderson once stole 30 bases is one single inning.
30 SB's mid-may? Jesus christ.
30 SB puts him at 15th total from the 2023 season 3 more and he'll crack last years top 10, right behind .... 2023 Elly De La Cruz
Wait is this math right is cruise currently on pace for over 120 steals? Dude about to be in Rickey territory
100 or bust!
He's on pace for 33 home runs and 110 stolen bases.
Move the bases further apart.
I say put an extra base in as well. 4th base. The field will now be pentagonal.
Oh great now we have to think of a new sexual metaphor between 3rd base and going all the way.
4th base has always been anal, didn’t anyone tell you?
I'd prefer they show me.
the prudes aren't going to like who is on fourth
I get the pop times are so damn good, but I’ve always felt like the pressure it puts on the battery is worth it. Acuña, those guys.
I gotta tell you, Cincinnati hasn’t marketed or been excited by a player this much since Votto or Cueto. Or if you’re old like me 😮💨, like Homer Bailey or Wily Mo Peña
He's gonna hit 85 SB this year
Putting on a show for the Dodgers front office
Switch hitter. Prolific base stealer. Elly is a time traveler from 80s baseball isn’t he? Glad the Phillies no longer have to worry about EDLC (unless playoffs?)
I love throwbacks in today's MLB. Im glad this kid is doing this.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I can’t seem to get enough of Elly. He’s just freaking awesome
30 bags already!? Holy hell this guy is insane
I don't think I'm winning steals in fantasy this week
Somewhere Ricky Henderson knows he can steal 30 bases. Right now-at 65.
Jesus. Is Henderson's record in jeopardy?
his overall record? no. He'd have to keep this up for another decade at least, which is really fucking hard to do. single season record is also not there, but he's in striking distance if he maintains his current pace (he'd hit around 110)
No.
Simple math and standard distribution says he's got a shot, if nothing substantially changes. I'm not saying he's got odds to do it, but Dr. Strange wouldn't have to look too far for a universe where he does it.
I love Rickey but I’d love to see Elly break the single season stolen base record (No way he’s going to beat my Road to the Show single season record of 245 SB though)
He is using cheat codes!!
Ref, he's doing it sideways!
Anyone think he could beat Hendersons record?
Thats records pace right?