After Tyler Naquin signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds in February, he was competing to be the fifth or sixth outfielder on the team’s Opening Day roster.
Before spring training, Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos were established starters. Nick Senzel and Shogo Akiyama were competing for time in the outfield. Aristides Aquino, Mark Payton and Dee-Strange Gordon were competing with Naquin for one or two utility spots.
Five months later, Naquin is the Reds starting center fielder and one of the most consistent hitters in the lineup against right-handed pitchers.
“He came in really, in some ways, having to prove himself,” Reds manager David Bell said. “We knew what kind of player he was, we knew he was talented. But he'd had some injuries. He'd been in some situations where he wasn't getting a ton of opportunity. It worked out with the makeup of our team.”
Since the start of the season, no Reds player’s role has changed more than Naquin’s.
Among every MLB player who has appeared in more than 50 games in center field this season, Naquin ranks sixth in OPS (.769) and third in RBI (47).
Naquin is on pace to play over 100 games in center field this season, and he’s on track to have one of the best offensive seasons the Reds have had recently from a center fielder.
