RADIO
Jesse Winker Hoping For Shot At Starting Role
7 years agoCincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker made his long-awaited debut with the team in 2017, appearing in 47 games and accumulating 137 plate appearances for the big league club. The 24-year-old acclimated well to the big leagues, finishing with a .298/.375/.529 slash line to go along with seven homers, 21 runs, and 15 RBI. Winker has long been regarded as one of the Reds' top positional prospects from a pure hitting standpoint. While he doesn't have much power, he makes up for that by making consistent contact to all fields. Winker should have a chance to break camp with a significant role with the team but he still has plenty of competition in the Cincinnati outfield as last year's starters, Adam Duvall, Billy Hamilton, and Scott Schebler, all all still with the club. There have been rumors that Hamilton could be traded, which could open up some at-bats for Winker, although he is regarded as a corner outfielder only. If he wins a starting role out of camp, Winker has some appeal as a late-round sleeper.
