3 things Reds fans learned during Terry Francona's first month as manager

Terry Francona has about a month into his tenure as Cincinnati Reds manager, with a little less than 30 games under his belt. While the team isn’t a world-beater (yet), Cincinnati does sit within striking distance of the first-place Chicago Cubs while hovering around .500.

Francona has had his hands full as the Reds have navigated key injuries, disappointing performances, and a stretch of heartbreaking one-run losses. These tests revealed a lot about the team but perhaps more about the new skipper.

3 things Reds fans learned during Terry Francona's first month as manager

The Reds won't be running wild with Terry Francona at the helm

Francona promised to bring a more disciplined approach to the Reds with a specific focus on baserunning and defense. So far, Cincy’s speed has combined with this philosophy in magnificent fashion. Elly De La Cruz is already at 10 stolen bases and, more importantly, has only been caught once. He is also attempting steals at a greater rate than ever before in his career.

The speedsters are playing smart, though. Aside from De La Cruz, every Reds player who stole 10 bases or more in 2024 has actually shortened up their lead at first. This protects them from pickoffs and emphasizes reaction time as the key to success. The Reds, though, have been less successful on the basepaths, successfully swiping the bag at a 76.5% rate compared to last season’s 83.1% in March and April.

Some of Cincy’s greatest speed threats haven’t been fully deployed. Spencer Steer, who stole 25 bases in 2024, has struggled since coming off the IL, and Matt McLain’s poor on-base percentage has robbed him of baserunning opportunities. Once these two get going and join the weapons of De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, and Jake Fraley, the Reds could be a terror on the basepaths.

Terry Francona has been holding Reds players accountable

The troubling part of the Reds’ early season has been their lack of success against relatively pedestrian ball clubs. So far, Cincinnati has only played two teams that made the postseason in 2024 and went 3–4 in those series. That means the club has been playing .500 ball against non-postseason teams. That is unacceptable if the Reds hope to have a successful season. 

Francona will not stand for this mediocrity. He called out poor defensive play in a loss to the Seattle Mariners last week. He has been just as vocal (and a bit vulgar) in his praise. The skipper knows how to set the tone and the expectations for the young players. 

The Reds bullpen flexibility will be a priority under Terry Francona

The roles in the Reds’ bullpen have been fluid so far in 2025. While Emilio Pagán seems locked in as the closer, nine of the 10 relievers used this season have finished a game. Six different players have been used in high-leverage situations. Of most note, Alexis Diaz seems to be on the outs.

Francona’s open-mindedness when it comes to bullpen usage could aid the Reds greatly as the season wears on. This year seems like it will be a big one for Cincinnati’s pitching prospects, and with many starters in good form, the younger arms could see some time coming out of the ‘pen.

If nothing else, Francona has proven that this is his team, a team with flexibility, accountability, and old-school baseball. The club’s success, or lack thereof, will be his as well.

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