sponsored by rxc card club.com get a free prescription drug card and save up to 85% on prescription drugs rxc card club.com Reds star on the verge of setting unsettling single season franchise record September 10th 2024 St Louis Missouri USA Cincinnati Reds Manager David Bell 25 is ejected by umpire Larry vanover 27 during the sixth fin against the St Louis Cardinals at Bush Stadium mandatory credit Jeff Cur magn images Cincinnati Red's Short Stop Ellie delar Cruz has been everything fans could have hoped for this season except in one key area strikeouts derla Cruz has been striking out at a record setting Pace this season and it's only been getting worse he had struck out 20 times in his last 37 at bats centering Thursday's game at St Louis he kept that Trend going in his first two at bats against Sunny gray on Thursday as he struck out two more times passing Adam dun 195 strikeouts in 2004 for the second most strikeouts in a single season in franchise history derla Cruz's 196 strikeouts lead Major League Baseball and have him firmly on Pace to pass former red Drew stubs who struck counter whopping 205 times in 2011 if he continues on this pace 1.34 strikeouts per game he would finish this season with 214 strikeouts that's concerning to see but it also offers some room for optimism despite those struggles derla Cruz has still been the Red's best position player with 4.7 War a 342 on base percentage 23 home runs and a major league best 60 for stolen bases the strikeouts haven't entirely been his fault according to a Sports Illustrated article D Cruz has struck out looking at pitches outside of the strike zone 13 times this season the article also states that delar Cruz ranks seventh in MLB for pitches outside of the strike zone being called strikes per baseball seven if he can find a way to cut down on his strikeout problem hopefully with some better C s from home plate umpires he could become an MVP caliber player in the not too distant future and hopefully set some more worthwhile franchise records along the way