"There’s nothing Elly De La Cruz can’t do" - Terry Francona opens up on Reds’ All-Star’s immense talent and path to stardom

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona opened up about All-Star Elly De La Cruz. During Thursday's appearance on MLB Network Radio, Francona discussed how he approached De La Cruz when he took over as the Reds manager.

Francona talked about going down to the Dominican Republic with Jeimer Candelario and Noelvi Marte in tow to meet De La Cruz. During the visit, Francona asked De La Cruz one simple question:

“What’s important to you?”

The response surprised Terry Francona. Francona recalled De La Cruz’s words:

“He (De La Cruz) wants to be one of the best players in the game.”

To which, Francona replied:

“I want that to happen. I want it to be on one of the best teams in the game.”

“This kid is still 22 years old, he’s a kid that everybody kind of looks at, and he’s the face of our franchise as he should be,” Francona added. "There’s nothing he can’t do. We just got to get him to make the routine play … that’s all part of the maturation process.”

If De La Cruz delivers another big year, the Cincinnati Reds could be in a good spot to win their first championship since 1990.

Elly De La Cruz on track for a big year under Terry Francona

The Cincinnati Reds hired an experienced skipper like Terry Francona to support the development of young stars like Elly De La Cruz.

In his first season, De La Cruz played 98 games, hitting 13 home runs and 44 RBIs along with a .235 average. The Reds saw enough and promoted De La Cruz to a full-time role. Last season, De La Cruz clubbed 25 dingers and drove in 76 runs. Plus, the young Dominican shortstop improved his batting average to .259.

But it’s the power numbers that have risen considerably. De La Cruz hit 36 doubles and 10 triples, making him a significant threat at the plate. In addition, his 67 stolen bases showcased his remarkable speed on the base paths.

However, the most telling number was De La Cruz’s staggering improvement in his WAR rating. In 2023, De La Cruz accounted for a 0.8 WAR. Last year, that number spiked to 5.2. With a WAR rating like that, the Reds have a valuable contributor across the board.

With De La Cruz poised for a truly breakout season, he could easily surpass last year’s WAR totals, transforming him into one of the league’s most valuable players.