De La Cruz led the Reds with 25 home runs in 2024.

Jul 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) slides safely past Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (12) in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesIn this story:Cincinnati Reds

Reds manager Terry Francona was so excited to manage Elly De La Cruz that he traveled to the Dominican Republic to meet with De La Cruz, Jeimer Candelario, and Noelvi Marte in person shortly after he got the job.

Francona knows De La Cruz wants to be one of the best players in the sport and he wants to help him achieve that.

“I asked Elly, I said, what’s important to you,” Francona told MLB Network Radio. “He said he wants to be one of the best players in the game. I said, I want that to happen and I want it to be on one of the best teams in the game.”

De La Cruz has all the talent in the world. In 2024, he led the Reds in OPS, slugging percentage, stolen bases, home runs, doubles, triples, hits, and runs.

He also led the team in strikeouts, times caught stealing, and errors. Francona thinks he can get the best out of the young superstar and De La Cruz wants to be held accountable.

“I asked him, do you want me to hold you accountable,” Francona said. “He goes, yep, and I wrote it down. Remember this, because even though this kid is still 22 years old, he is the kid that everyone looks at. He is kind of the face of our franchise, as he should be. There’s nothing he can’t do. We just got to get him to make the routine play. He makes everything else.”

If Francona can get De La Cruz to cut down on the mistakes, the sky is the limit for the 22-year-old and he could be a legitimate MVP candidate for years to come.

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