Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona, sticking to his guns from the 2025 season, decided to keep TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz at the top of the batting order against Boston Red Sox's lefty, Connelly Early, in the series finale.
The Red Sox capitalized on this decision, with Early even facing De La Cruz for a third time in the sixth inning before right-hander Greg Weissert took over. De La Cruz struck out, and together with Friedl, the duo went 1-for-6 against Early, mirroring their performance against Red Sox's Garrett Crochet just days earlier.
Starting the season 2-for-15 against left-handed pitchers, Friedl and De La Cruz have struggled against southpaws. Friedl's .243/.330/.341 and De La Cruz's .236/.276/.342 slashes from last season against lefties suggest a need for change.
It's not about benching Friedl or De La Cruz entirely-that would be extreme. But placing them in the top-3 against lefties gives opposing managers, like Alex Cora, an edge. Francona, known for his traditional approach, kept a consistent lineup through the opening series, even against two left-handed starters.
Consistency in a lineup has its merits, especially from a Hall of Fame-bound manager like Francona. Yet, repeating the same strategy and expecting different outcomes can be problematic. How many more times will Francona watch Friedl and De La Cruz struggle before considering a lineup shift?
While alternatives aren't flawless, a top-3 featuring Dane Myers, Matt McLain, and Sal Stewart could be more effective. Moving Friedl and De La Cruz lower in the order might be wise based on past performances.
It's only three games into the season, so it's premature to heavily critique Francona's decisions. However, if Friedl and De La Cruz continue leading the order against lefties by May 1, it might be time for a more pointed evaluation of Francona's strategy.