Video: Reds' Elly De La Cruz Calls Himself MLB's Most Exciting Player

There's no denying that Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz brings an edge every time he steps up to the plate, and the shortstop had no issue calling himself the most exciting player in the majors.

"You're sitting right in front of him," De La Cruz said when ESPN's Jeff Passan asked who the most exciting player is. "...Because I love the game and I enjoy playing baseball. The fans seem like they enjoy watching me play."

De La Cruz has taken a major leap in his second year in the majors. The 22-year-old has 18 home runs (including one inside-the-park home run) and 45 RBI through 109 games, both totals being career-highs, and he has a .255 batting average.

But what makes De La Cruz so exciting isn't necessarily what he does at the plate, but what he does once he's on base. The speedy shortstop has a majors-leading 57 steals so far this season and the player closest to him, Brice Turang, only has 32 stolen bases.

It seems like every time he gets on base he goes for a steal, and he's successful more often than not. Since 2018, just two players have reached the 50+ steal mark, reigning MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. being the other alongside De La Cruz.

Acuña had 73 stolen bases last year, which was the most since 1992. With plenty of time left in the season, De La Cruz could surpass that mark. While he's still early into his career, De La Cruz being the first player to reach 100 steals in a season since 1987 doesn't seem to unrealistic.

For now, he'll look to help the Reds as they continue their rebuild. Barring a miraculous finish to the season, Cincinnati will miss the postseason for a fourth consecutive year. With a young star like De La Cruz, the Reds could be on their way to a bright future.