Juan Ramón Francisco González (born June 24, 1987) is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants.
Francisco spent his first professional season, with the Gulf Coast League Reds. He batted .280 in 182 at-bats with three home runs, and enjoyed a nine-game call up at the season's end to the Billings Mustangs rookie class team, where he went 12-for-36.
Francisco spent 2007 with the single-A Dayton Dragons. He hit .268 in 534 at-bats, slugging 25 home runs and driving in 90. Juan was a Midwest League mid-season All-Star and post-season All-Star for the Dragons.
Promoted again in 2008, this time to the single-A advanced Sarasota Reds, he again spent the entire season with the same team. In 516 at-bats, he hit .277 with 23 homers and 92 RBI. Francisco earned All-Star status again, for both the mid-season and post-season in the Florida State League. In addition, he was selected to play in the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game. Francisco was named Reds' Minor League Hitter of the Year for 2008. Juan played winter ball for Gigantes del Cibao of the Dominican Winter Baseball League. In 40 games for the team, he .360 with 37 RBI, and his 12 home runs set the DWL record for regular season homers by a left-handed hitter. He continued to produce in the playoffs, hitting six more homers and 18 more RBI.[1] His performance earned him the DWL Rookie of the Year accolade. He was added to the 40-man roster on November 20.
Originally a switch-hitter, Francisco abandoned hitting right-handed in 2009 to become a full-time lefty.
Juan began the year in double-A Carolina. He played in 109 games for the Mudcats, where he hit .281 with 22 home runs and 78 RBI in 437 at-bats. For the third year in a row he earned mid- and post-season All-Star recognition, this time in the Southern League. He was promoted to the triple-A Louisville Bats. He played in 22 games, getting 92 at-bats, and hit .359 with 5 homers and 19 RBI. Juan again earned a promotion, this time to the Cincinnati Reds.