MILWAUKEE – When Tyler Naquin reported to spring training as a non-roster invitee, he was confident he could make a big impact if he remained healthy.
Naquin finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2016, posting a .296 batting average with 18 doubles, 14 homers and 43 RBI in 116 games, but injuries were a constant over his next four seasons with Cleveland.
He didn’t play more than 89 games in a season from 2017-20, dealing with everything from a torn ligament in his knee, a hip strain, back tightness, a hamstring strain and a hairline fracture of his big toe.
“Just for me, man, it wasn’t the matter of ‘if,’ or ‘if he could,’ you got to stay between the lines,” Naquin said. “You have to stay between the lines, and the rest will take care of itself. Every player does (ups and downs) during the season, but you can’t even do this if you’re not in between the lines. My main goal from the first phone call I had with these guys was, ‘Hey man, just stay healthy and do your thing. Just stay healthy.’ That was my No. 1 goal.”
A healthy Naquin has played a role in the Cincinnati Reds’ success. He’s batting .269 with 22 doubles, 18 homers, 66 RBI and 50 runs scored in 113 games. He moved to the top of the lineup with Jesse Winker injured and he was named the National League Player of the Week on Monday.
He credited the Reds’ strength and training program, and not trying to overdo everything.
“It’s just being healthy and trusting it,” Naquin said. “It’s hard as a player, too. This game is ruthless, man. It’ll bury you. It’ll make you doubt yourself a lot. Sometimes you’re the only one that believes in your own self, or maybe a couple family members, and you just got to keep rolling. That’s all there is to it.
“It’s been a road, but I’m stoked to be here. From top to bottom, these guys, this organization, has treated me like gold.”
Naquin, entering Wednesday on a 13-game hitting streak, ranks second in MLB with a .397 batting average in August and fourth with a 1.250 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) among players who have at least 20 at-bats this month. He’s tied for sixth in runs scored (17).
“A lot of times, you see players or somebody get an interview and get, ‘Oh, how surprised were you?’” Naquin said. “It’s like, ‘I’m not surprised because you don’t do all this work and everything to surprise yourself.’ You do it to go out there and hammer it home and do it.”
SUPER SLIDER: Tony Santillan relied on his slider a lot when he was in the starting rotation, but he’s taken that pitch to another level from the bullpen.
Santillan has thrown 17 sliders since he rejoined the bullpen last week. Hitters have taken 11 swings at it and whiffed eight times.
“I mean, I wouldn’t say anything has really changed,” Santillan said. “Obviously, stuff has been going well, so confidence is rising. Just throwing it with confidence and trusting it. It’s kind of taken care of the rest. I’ve done the work to get it where it is.”
As a reliever, Santillan owns a 2.35 ERA in 15 1/3 innings between the Majors and Triple-A Louisville.
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE: Major League Baseball announced the league’s playoff schedule and the National League Wild Card Game is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 6. The NL Wild Card Game will be televised on TBS.
The Reds hold a one-game lead over the San Diego Padres for the second wild-card spot after Tuesday’s games. The Los Angeles Dodgers would host the NL Wild Card game if the season ended today, trailing the San Francisco Giants by 2.5 games for the divisional lead.
The NL Division Series – the three division winners and the Wild Card Game winner – is scheduled to begin Friday, Oct. 9. All NLDS and NL Championship Series games will be televised on TBS.
The World Series is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Oct. 26, televised on FOX.
FARM SYSTEM RANKINGS: The Reds have the eighth-best farm system, according to Baseball America, and the 10th-best from MLB.com’s midseason rankings.
It’s been a noticeable improvement from the start of the year. The Reds were ranked No. 19 by Baseball America in their preseason rankings and No. 20 by MLB.com.
In MLB.com’s midseason update, the Reds have four prospects ranked in the Top 100: right-handed pitcher Hunter Greene (No. 27), left-handed pitcher Nick Lodolo (No. 32), shortstop Jose Barrero (No. 33) and shortstop Matt McLain (No. 98). Barrero was recently promoted to the big-league roster and McLain was the club’s top pick in last month’s MLB Draft.
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