MIAMI – In less than a year and half, Elly De La Cruz has made his mark on the baseball world. Whether it’s his towering home runs, strong arm or incredible speed, the Reds slugger has been the best example of the modern player -- one that seemingly looks to "break" Statcast with every game.

But beyond the historic season he’s having, especially with his stolen base pace, the Cincinnati shortstop has become not only the face of the club’s current push to be competitive, but also one of the most recognizable figures in the big leagues.

One way in which that’s been reflected is that in mid-July, MLB’s list of the most popular jerseys listed De La Cruz’s number 44 at No. 15.

However, the speedy 22-year-old hasn’t let that popularity intimidate him. Quite the contrary. While he’s aware of the attention his game is garnering, he also knows that keeping the same attitude that has brought him to this level will be key for his constant evolution in Cincinnati.

“Of course, I’ve seen all of that and honestly I’m very grateful for all the support that the fans have shown me,” he said. “I hope that they keep doing it. We’re always going out and giving 100 percent. But [I’m] always keeping a low profile, trying to work on every detail and always playing hard.”

Even if De La Cruz wants to fly under the radar, his style of play would never allow that, with his electric talent turning heads all over the game.

The analytics confirm what everyone has witnessed from De La Cruz on the field. He’s not only showing elite speed -- averaging 30.1 feet per second in sprint speed, which puts him in the 100th percentile in the big leagues -- he’s also above the 90th percentile in arm strength (91st) and range (97th), with 10 Outs Above Average at shortstop. In the batter’s box, he’s in the 86th percentile in average exit velocity, 89th in barrel percentage and 87th in bat speed.

• Dig into Elly's advanced metrics

Yet even these numbers don’t seem to do justice to what De La Cruz embodies as a player. He once again showed that during Monday’s game in Miami against the Marlins, when he became only the third player in Reds history to reach 20 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season, joining Joe Morgan (1973, ‘74, ‘76) and Eric Davis (1986, ‘87). De La Cruz is also the 14th player in AL/NL history (since 1901) to have a 20-50 season.

But for De La Cruz, a first time All-Star this year, also playing with fellow Dominican Jeimer Candelario on the infield has been one of the keys to keeping that balance between production and humbleness, which in turn keeps him focused on the game.

“I always try to get him to smile, give him some advice when he needs it,” Candelario said. “We need to be smart about how to reach out to him and bring him along, because sometimes it can be done the wrong way.

“He has been very consistent, with his emotions, his work and dedication. I think he’s one of most consistent young players that I’ve seen in the big leagues. And playing shortstop, at that age, is not easy,” added Candelario, who despite being only 30, is one of the veterans in a young Reds clubhouse. “He’s taken a different approach to that [leader] role. We always try to laugh together, spend quality time and give him advice when he needs it.”

De La Cruz and Candelario are often joined by their countryman Noelvi Marte, another promising piece in Cincinnati’s future who has rejoined the team after his 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs ended in June. But while Marte keeps working on establishing himself in the Majors, he’s another player who would like to follow in De La Cruz’s footsteps. Though they’re good friends, third baseman Marte knows that the player to his left in Cincinnati’s infield is without a doubt a leader on the team.

“He’s like my brother; we’re always together, my brother forever,” said Marte. “We count on each other for advice. He truly is more than a brother; he’s a low-key guy, with a good heart and a humble family. He’s the kind of guy that you want to have close forever.”

Cincinnati is seeking to stay in the race for the club’s first trip to the postseason since 2020 and just its second in the last 10 seasons. With that, De La Cruz continues his development as one of the most special talents to come on the baseball scene in the last few years.