Reds Skipper Compares Elly De La Cruz to Guardians Superstar 3B

A few years ago, the Cincinnati Reds hit the jackpot with the emergence of Elly De La Cruz from their farm system. De La Cruz quickly worked his way up the minor league ladder and transcended into stardom in the Queen City. It wound up being one of the most anticipated debuts in Reds history.

Since then, De La Cruz has continued to live in the spotlight in Cincinnati, whether he likes it or not. He's the team's leader and their best position player, though he's coming off a bit of a down year due to some injury struggles throughout last season.

Still, Reds manager Terry Francona didn't hold back when praising De La Cruz, even going as far as to compare him to Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez, who Francona coached for years in Cleveland.

Elly De La Cruz's motor is similar to Jose Ramirez's, per Terry Francona

Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cru — Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz runs drills during the first day of full squad workouts, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at the Cincinnati Reds player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Completely different players, but I would say their motor, like a Jose Ramirez," Francona said, when asked who De La Cruz reminds him of. "Somebody asked me the other day, how about managing Jose? You don't manage him. You just wind him up and get out of his way. And that's a good thing. And because other players follow him.

"And Elly's the same here, where guys watch him. And even at that age, and it's a lot of extra... I don't want to say pressure, but there's some things to think about. Because when he's playing the game the way he's supposed to, a lot of our guys have their chest out a little bit more. And it's real. And we've told him that."

Francona coached Ramirez from 2013 to 2023, spanning a majority of Ramirez's career. Francona has now coached De La Cruz for a year as he heads into year two this season.

De La Cruz and Ramirez both play the game in a similar way: Fast. Their styles are different, but they're both fast players who play the game at 100 miles per hour.

Comparing De La Cruz to Ramirez on the field would be a bit unfair for the 24-year-old Reds shortstop. Ramirez is one of this generation's greats, while De La Cruz is only getting started.

Still, the two players play the game the right way. They're the kind of player that a manager needs to reel in rather than amp up. And if you asked Francona, this is a very good problem to have.

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