FORT MYERS, Fla. — The bar is changing by the day.

“Everybody was comparing him to Rey Ordonez,” said one member of the Red Sox’ uniformed personnel. “I saw this kid and knew this was no Rey Ordonez.”

The latest suggestion that Jose Iglesias might end up being above and beyond what the light-hitting, smooth-fielding Ordonez represented came Monday when the Red Sox’ first-year pro jacked his first home run, a three-run job with two on and two out in the eighth inning that gave the Sox’ a late lead over the Cardinals.

The Red Sox would need another comeback in the ninth after surrendering the advantage in the top of the ninth — getting a game-winning single from Che-Hsuan Lin for 7-6 win against St. Louis at City of Palms Park — but it was still the affable 20-year-old shortstop everybody was buzzing about.

“I think he’s got a little bit of that rising to the occasion in him. He’s always asking, ‘Am I playing today?’ He hates sitting on the bench watching the game. When he gets in the game he wants to make an immediate impact, and he did today,” said Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan. “He just needs experience and the sky’s the limit for him.”

Standing at just 5-foot-10 or so, Iglesias still looks his age (if not a bit younger). But as moments like Monday reminded many, there is a reason the Red Sox dished out a four-year, $8.25 million deal for the Cuban.

“He’s been pretty consistent,” Magadan said. “The No. 1 thing that jumps out at you is his passion for the game. He’s the first one in the cage, he’s the last one to leave. His work ethic is incredible. What he does routine-wise in the cage is like a five-year major league veteran. He has a really good idea of what he wants to do. He has an unbelievable amount of confidence. He is going to be one of those guys who is going to come quick.”

There is, however, work to be done, as both Iglesias and Magadan point out.

There is still an adjustment period, with the shortstop getting used to the abundance of resources (such as video) that he hadn’t been privy to back in his homeland. Iglesias also has to integrate the kind of subtleties that any 20-year-old from a foreign land — no matter how advanced — might be initially missing.

“I think he’s still learning.” Magadan explained. “His pitch selection and his over-aggressiveness sometimes gets in the way of having success at the plate. You see it a little bit in the spring where he expands the zone early in the count. But when he’s patient and he’s aggressive in the zone, you leave a fastball over the heart of the plate early in the count he’s ready to hit it. He’s just got to learn, and he will, to control the at-bat and don’t feel like the at-bat has to be over with after one or two or three pitches. I think he has the confidence to hit deep in the count, but I think his ‘Thou shalt not let the heater pass early in the count’ is something he subscribes to.”

But as the smile Iglesias wore while listening to the questions relayed by translator Gil Velazquez indicated, having the opportunity to get on-the-job training in environments like the one afforded him Monday makes road to the bigs a joy … for all involved.

“This is my first year with the organization but it feels like I’ve been here forever,” Iglesias said through Velazquez. “They have welcomed me like a family member.”