Elly De La Cruz has gone to another level in 2026. Here are three stats showing how much better Elly has been this year than in 2025. 2025 EllyFor context, Elly De La Cruz was not a bad player in 2025. Elly led the Reds in runs scored (102), home runs (22), RBIs (86), stolen bases (37), and total bases (277). He also led the team in errors with 26. In fact, Elly led all of Major League Baseball in errors. Elly's defense has been a part of his game that really gets the fans riled up. Everyone in Cincinnati knows that he is the Reds' best player, but there has been growth from De La Cruz at the plate and in the field in 2026.Sep 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) throws a ball to home plate during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect2026 Elly The first area Elly De La Cruz has improved in 2026 is his hard-hit percentage. Statcast defines a 'hard-hit ball' as one hit with an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher, and a player's "hard-hit rate" is simply the percentage of batted balls that were hit at 95 mph or more. In 2025, Elly had a hard-hit percentage of 44.2%, which ranked him in the 44th percentile. In 2026, Elly has a 52.6% hard-hit rate. That puts him in the 95th percentile. Elly is hitting the ball over 95 mph on over half of his hits, which is just wild. Another way Elly has taken his game to the next level is by hitting better against left-handers. In 2025, he had an OPS of .618. And in 2026, he has an amazing 1.062 OPS. In 2025, Elly only had five home runs and 26 RBIs in 114 games against lefties, but in 202, he has nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 81 games. Elly has immensely improved his game against left-handed pitching. The last aspect De La Cruz has improved in 2026 is his defense. His Outs Above Average (OAA) is +7 this year, whereas in 2025, it was -3. His OAA is now in the 93rd percentile in 2026 as opposed to the 22nd percentile last year. Marked improvement. Elly has also cut down on his errors this season, committing only 18 in 116 games. 2026 might be the first year that he does not lead the Majors in errors since his rookie year in 2026. Elly De La Cruz has really upped his game in 2026, oh and by the way,he is only 24 years old and just getting started in his professional career. Follow me on X on @RedHotRedsPodAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow