Elly’s Improving Splits Should Have the League on Notice
Elly De La Cruz is finally starting to hit lefties to begin the 2026 season, which could be the key to unlock his MVP potential.
| | 
Young phenom Elly De La Cruz is off to a blazing start in 2026. Through the first month, he is tied for the lead the National League in homers with 10, and he’s hitting .283/.358/.575, good for a .933 OPS. He’s also tied for sixth in all of baseball with 1.6 fWAR through his first 30 games.
Elly has had the makings of a superstar ever since he debuted in 2023, but in his age-24 season, it finally seems as though he is truly taking that next step toward his finished product by becoming a much better hitter from the right side of the batter’s box.
We all saw the second-half Elly last season that just looked out of sorts and completely zapped of all power. But, that doesn’t really mean much for his right-handed hitting, as he has always been below average from that side. In fact, in 2025, Elly homered just five times from the right side. So far in 2026, he has already matched that number, and it’s not even May.
In both the 2024 and 2025 season, De La Cruz hit below .240 as a righty and had an OPS below .670. This season? He is slashing .353/.389/.824, which is an astounding improvement. Of course this is an incredibly small sample size, as he has had just 36 plate appearances as a righty.
But, five home runs in 36 plate appearances this year compared to five home runs in 210 plate appearances in 2025 is a notable improvement nonetheless.
So, where could the improvements be coming from? Let’s break it down.
Stats were taken prior to play on April 30.
A Necessary Improvement To Reach the Next Level
For starters, Elly looks different in the box.
At the beginning of the 2025 season, Elly had a significantly open stance that was a bit crouched. Throughout the year, we saw that openness start to dissipate, but as it did he also began being more upright.
This year, he has sort of combined the two and has closed off his stance while remaining in a bit more of a crouched and athletic position.
This adjustment, along with nixing of the toe-tap approach, has allowed De La Cruz to get loaded into his back hip easier and be explosive at the plate. That’s something that was clearly missing throughout much of 2025, even if he was playing through injury.
The improved chase rate and being more explosive in the box has had a significant impact in the quality of contact for Elly. In 2025, he had an average exit velocity of 91 mph, which was in the 72nd percentile in all of baseball. Likewise, he was putting the ball in the air at just a 48.8% clip, which was a full seven percent below league average.
In 2026, the average exit velocity for Elly is 95.8 mph, which is in the 99th percentile across all of MLB, and he is getting the ball in the air 53.2% of the time.
The strikeout rate is still high for the 24-year-old, but his approach is improving as he has cut his chase rate by almost five percent to begin the year.
Don’t get me wrong, it is still early in the season. But if a new stance is leading to better chase rates, more balls in the air, and a power increase, then we could be seeing No. 44 truly round into MVP form. A tangible adjustment in the box makes me confident this production is sustainable.
And oh, by the way, his fielding is much better than 2025 for those who are wondering.
While these improvements are important for De La Cruz as he strives to reach his full potential, the ability to hit lefties is incredibly important for the club as a whole. Even with a righty-heavy lineup, the Cincinnati Reds rank 26th in all of baseball hitting just .212 as a team against southpaws.
Their team OPS is much better, but that is thanks in large part to Elly and Sal both boasting an OPS over 1.200 when facing a lefty. Being able to count on Elly as a guy who can do damage with a left-handed pitcher on the mound is exactly what this club needs.
Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart have formed one of the best duos in Major League Baseball to begin the season. And while Sal Stewart is becoming a star in his rookie year, Elly is leveling up at the same time. And that combination has led the Reds to be in first place in the division through the first month of year and be tied for the third-best record in the NL.
This is the Elly De La Cruz that the city of Cincinnati needs in order to make some noise in October. And the league should be on notice.
Become a Member of Just Baseball
Subscribe and upgrade to go ad-free!
* Save 25% by subscribing annually.
Written by