Long awaited truth: that’s it! Terry Francona’s speech on analytics will have Reds fans nodding in agreement” as he boldly opens the most shocking hidden truth…
Balance is key, people. One major concern for many baseball fans is that their favorite team is totally immersed in analytics; some teams have a front office and coaching staff that are solely dependent on what the metrics tell them on paper, which is rarely a good thing.
For Cincinnati Reds fans, they will not have to worry about that in the near future. Though using analytics is a beneficial tool, there is so much more that goes into winning a baseball game than the specific data you are looking at. It drives fans crazy — we’re looking at you, Rays fans in the 2020 World Series — but those who root for Cincinnati won’t have to face this ordeal with Terry Francona at the helm.
Francona, 65, is one of the older end of managers in Major League Baseball, but this can be what helps to push the Reds to more wins in 2025 and beyond. His world of experience as a coach has taught him that several factors go into making a decision, including whether or not to keep a pitcher in the game.
Francona sat down with MLB Network to discuss a few things, and Cincinnati’s new manager offered his thought process regarding keeping a starter in the game once the lineup is turned over for a third time. Tito’s comments were a breath of fresh air.
“When you have a pitcher out there that is rolling, there is nothing better than letting him figure out how to get through that lineup a third time,” Francona said during an interview with MLB Network.
Francona has won almost 2,000 games as a manager, so he definitely has a feel for how to maneuver a starting rotation and a bullpen. This is wonderful news for Brady Singer, too, who was just traded to the Reds this offseason.
The right-hander has a reputation of going deep into games. In 2024 with the Kansas City Royals, he spotted seven or more innings in six of his 32 starts. Reds fans can expect much of the same for him this upcoming season, considering his coaches won’t be breathing down his neck to restrict his innings.
This can also benefit the remainder of the rotation. Maybe, Francona will keep Nick Martinez out there longer in 2025 after producing three seven-plus inning starts. Nick Lodolo only went seven or more frames twice in 2024, and Graham Ashcraft didn’t do that once.
The Reds are looking to turn the page and enter a new era of winning. Adding Francona was obviously a great hire, but his reasonings in-game might just be what puts Cincinnati over the top in 2025. The Reds have a young pitching staff, and now it is time to see just how good and how consistent they can be.
