Terry Francona's comp has Reds fans dreaming of José Ramírez path for Elly De La Cruz

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona knows a thing or two about Cleveland Guardians star José Ramírez. After all, Francona was instrumental in Ramirez’s early development and rise to fame. So when Francona compared Elly De La Cruz to the seven-time All-Star, the praise should not be taken lightly. If De La Cruz blossoms as Ramírez did under Francona, the Reds shortstop will reach a whole new level.

To Francona’s credit, a young Ramírez has much in common with De La Cruz. As a 20 and 21-year-old, Ramírez was a toolsy utilityman who hadn’t quite put everything together. He had the raw speed and pop to be a 30-30 threat, but he struggled to make productive contact.

Through the 2015 season, his batting line was .239/.298/.346, but when he finally figured out how to square up the ball in 2016, his line jumped to .312/.363/.462. Imagine if De La Cruz makes a similar improvement this season.

Terry Francona compares Elly De La Cruz to José Ramírez

Like Ramírez, De La Cruz struggles to square up the ball (just 7%). He has elite bat speed, but he rarely translates that into a well-struck ball. Statcast defines squared-up swings as those that attain at least 80% of the maximum possible exit velocity. Think about that in the context of De La Cruz’s swing. That could be the key to him finally attaining the lofty projections placed on him each winter.

Since making his swing adjustments, Ramírez has finished in the top five of MVP voting six times from 2017-2025. He has averaged 5.6 bWAR per season, and the Guardians have reached the postseason six times. In other words, if you removed De La Cruz from the Reds’ lineup, Ramírez has been more valuable than the rest of the lineup combined.

De La Cruz is already making strides. From 2024 to 2025, he cut his strikeout rate by more than 5%. Now, he’s got Eugenio Suarez as both a mentor and protection in the lineup. He’s had a season to adjust to Francona’s style, and he’s presumably fully healthy and ready to mash. This could be the emergence of a new MVP candidate in Ohio.