Terry Francona has finally made the change many expected much sooner, giving Elly De La Cruz the leadoff spot after 81 games in 2026. For a Reds team that has struggled to score consistently, it is a simple decision with a potentially major impact.
Francona is not a manager short on experience or success. With three American League Pennants and two World Series Championships on his record, he arrived in Cincinnati with the kind of authority that usually allows him to trust his own timing. He also helped the Reds return to the postseason last year, which makes this season’s offensive inconsistency stand out even more.
Why the leadoff move matters
The basic logic is hard to ignore. De La Cruz is the Reds' best chance to change innings quickly, pressure pitchers and get more at-bats over the course of a game. In a lineup that has not found a consistent way to score, moving him to the top is less a gamble than a recognition of where the best spark should come from.
That is especially true when you compare it with 2024, when De La Cruz stole 67 bases under David Bell. That level of speed and disruption is exactly what makes him such a natural fit to lead off. If he is on base more often, the whole shape of the Reds attack can look different.
A clearer role for the Reds' best weapon
Francona’s team have now reached a point where the question is no longer whether De La Cruz can handle the role. It is whether keeping him anywhere else was costing the Reds valuable opportunities at the top of the order.
The manager’s record suggests he understands the importance of getting big players into the right places. His career has been built on making strong teams function at the right time, and the Reds will hope this move is another example of that judgement. After 81 games, the lineup finally looks like it is being built around the player most capable of changing it.
For the Reds, the test now is straightforward. If the runs come more regularly with De La Cruz leading off, Francona will look decisive. If they do not, the debate over how best to use their most explosive hitter will only grow louder.
