Editor’s note: While the MLB lockout delayed the start of spring training, The Enquirer will answer important questions facing the Cincinnati Reds. Today’s question: What will Nick Senzel's 2022 season look like?
The last time that Nick Senzel played in a game for the Cincinnati Reds, Senzel was the Reds leadoff hitter and was alternating starts between the infield and the outfield.
Last May, Senzel’s athleticism and versatility gave the Reds a boost at the top of the lineup. Second baseman Jonathan India wasn’t yet an every day starter, third baseman Eugenio Suárez was struggling and the Reds were dealing with injuries in the outfield.
The Reds needed a player with a skill set like Senzel’s, and he hit .286 over a 20-game stretch that ended on May 17.
Senzel didn’t play another game for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. Following surgery, Senzel nearly returned in August. At the end of his rehab assignment, Senzel was demoted to Triple-A. Then, according to Reds General Manager Nick Krall, Senzel was reevaluated and had fluid buildup in his knee, which ended his season.
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Senzel missed the rest of the year, and he returns to a much different picture. Krall said at the end of last season that Senzel will compete for a role in 2022, and that role would likely exclusively be in center field.
With India at second base, Senzel doesn’t have an opportunity to play that position. Since Eugenio Suárez moved back to third base from shortstop and since the Reds also have third baseman Mike Moustakas in the picture, Senzel doesn’t have a clear path toward playing time at third base.
With the designated hitter expected to be in place in the National League, Senzel’s versatility doesn’t come with as much of an advantage. But when fully healthy, Senzel still has a distinct skill set for the team.
Unless the Reds re-sign right fielder Nick Castellanos, the team won’t have as much depth in the outfield. The Reds currently have six outfielders with MLB experience: Jesse Winker, Tyler Naquin, Aristides Aquino, Shogo Akiyama, TJ Friedl and Senzel.
Among that group of players, Senzel and Freidl are the only true center fielders. The Reds had Senzel focus on center field when he reached the big leagues because of his speed, and the former first round pick was consistently one of the Reds best defenders when he was healthy.
Freidl and outfielder Shogo Akiyama have a similar profile in center field. Freidl hit .264 in Triple-A last season but isn’t ranked as one of the Reds top-30 prospects. Akiyama hit .204 last season and played a bench role for the entire year.
The only other outfielder in the mix is Aquino who has more experience as a corner outfielder. He hit .190 last season and lost his role in September as a platoon outfielder against left-handed pitching. Aquino offers the most upside as a power hitter, and his standout throwing arm has helped him become a play-maker in the outfield.
With Winker likely to start in left field and Naquin likely to start in right, Senzel would likely compete with Freidl, Akiyama and Aquino for playing time in center field. Unless the Reds add another starting outfielder before the start of the season or shortstop Jose Barrero makes a permanent move to become an outfielder, then center field will be one of the Reds most important battles heading into the 2022 season.
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