Francona knows how good his offense is.
The Cincinnati Reds took two out of three from the Detroit Tigers over the weekend at Great American Ball Park, and the series turned into something nobody expected.
The two teams combined for a barrage of home runs that tied a stadium record for a three-game set, with balls leaving the yard from both sides of the field all weekend.
Cincinnati dropped the finale 8-3 on Sunday, but the Reds still took the series and have been one of the best teams in baseball through the first month.
Their 18-10 record puts them in first place in the NL Central, and it is their best start to a season since 2006.
Francona Likes What He Sees
After Sunday's loss, manager Terry Francona was asked about Cincinnati's power numbers during the series.
"The thing I like, I think it's a byproduct of good swings," Francona said. "You know, if you're selling out to hit home runs, you might hit a few, but not going to probably score as many runs as you want. I think we're having good at bats and that's a byproduct of it."
That is basically the identity of this Reds lineup in 2026.
The home runs are coming because hitters are staying in the zone and putting good swings on pitches, not because they are trying to do too much.
Francona has talked all season about wanting quality at bats up and down the order, and the numbers are reflecting that.
Stewart and De La Cruz Leading the Way
Nobody has been better at the plate than rookie Sal Stewart, who drove in five runs on Saturday and now has nine home runs with 29 RBI through 28 games.
He and Elly De La Cruz are the second pair of Reds teammates since 1900 to each reach nine home runs before May, joining Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns back in 2003.
De La Cruz is slashing .265/.330/.549 and has hit safely in 22 of 27 games this season.
Then there is Nathaniel Lowe, who has been swinging it well since arriving in the offseason.
Lowe hit the walk-off homer on Friday night and went deep again on Saturday, giving him four home runs and a .605 slugging percentage.
With Eugenio Suarez currently on the injured list, Lowe has filled that void in the middle of the order.
What Comes Next
The Reds open a three-game homestand against Colorado on Monday night.
If Francona's lineup keeps swinging like this, the power numbers will continue to follow.
Cincinnati was not supposed to be here, but 28 games into the season, the lineup looks like one of the most dangerous in the National League.