When Elly De La Cruz stole the 60th base, MLB posted in his honour, giving the caption – ‘the fastest man on Earth’ But who is the fastest of them all? There has been some discussion pertaining to the topic in the past too, with no fruitful outcome. Noah Lyles is an American track and field athlete; one of the fastest on earth in recent times. IShowSpeed, a YouTube content creator raced Lyles, and the result was as expected – the pro athlete did come out on top as anticipated. While a lot of people seem amazed by them, but not De la Cruz.

The Cincinnati Reds’ dynamic young star and MLB’s stolen base leader last season shared his take on the race between IShowSpeed and Lyles. While IShowSpeed is not a professional athlete, but 27-year-old Noah is an Olympic gold medalist. Nonetheless, Elly De La Cruz was certain he can beat both of them. In a recent post on X, Elly wrote: “They think they fast! I’ll beat them for sure”, sharing a clip of that race. Was this his fun challenge to the fastest man around, Noah Lyles?

Lyles, the two-time World Champion in the 200m, isn’t one to back down from a race. He has routinely outrun some of the fastest humans in history, and has shown time and time again that he’s up for any challenge. Over the years, Lyles has even thrown down the gauntlet to some of the NFL’s top wide receivers, including Tyreek Hill, who is known for his breakneck speed. Hill has yet to accept Lyles’ challenge to a race, but Lyles remains undeterred.

Given his fearless approach to competition, it’s safe to assume that he’d be just as willing to line up against Elly De La Cruz and his base-stealing speed on the diamond. De La Cruz, with his incredible burst and blazing speed on the bases, has quickly become one of the most exciting players in MLB. But Lyles, with his track pedigree, has the kind of speed that could turn this into a showdown for the ages. So, while it’s hard to say who’ll be the winner, it would certainly be a race worth watching. 

Elly De La Cruz has the potential for a 100 stolen bases   

Elly De La Cruz has had a historic season in 2024. Cruz comfortably led the league in stolen bases for much of the year. His 60th steal of the season, which came late in the year, was a milestone. With that stolen base, De La Cruz became just the fifth player in MLB history to join the prestigious 20-60 club. The other members of that elite club include names like Barry Bonds, Jose Reyes, and Eric Davis. 

What makes De La Cruz’s achievement even more remarkable is the pace he set earlier in the season. Before the All-Star break, he had already racked up 46 steals, and at that point, fans and analysts began to speculate whether a 100-steal season might actually be within reach. While De La Cruz didn’t quite hit that magic number, the fact that it was a reasonable possibility was quite something. Not even Shohei Ohtani’s stolen bases came close.

De La Cruz’s potential for a 100-steal season is the reason why people say he’s the fastest in baseball. His unique combination of power and speed makes him the most likely player in today’s game to challenge that mark. If he can stay healthy and continue refining his game, it’s not hard to imagine him becoming the first player in over 40 years to swipe 100 bags in a season.