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Lauren looks at emerging Reds hitters as fantasy baseball pickups, sleepers and streamers including TJ Friedl, Nick Senzel, Spencer Steer, Jake Fraley, Henry Ramos.
The Cincinnati Reds are just two years removed from a winning record (83-79 in 2021) and only three from a postseason berth. Now, six out of their top eight leaders in WAR from 2021 are on different teams, with longtime Reds first baseman Joey Votto and former NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India being the lone exceptions. Cincinnati had somewhat of a fire sale following 2021, and it was a bit unclear as to why. Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker produced career years and were both named All-Stars. Votto, although 37 years old at the time, had a resurgence and hit 36 home runs along with 99 RBI. India took home ROTY with 21 homers, 69 RBI, and 12 stolen bases on his resumé. And their rotation, consisting of Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Wade Miley, and Tyler Mahle was quite solid.
A quick glance at the 2021 roster showed that the Reds may have had a chance to compete in the NL Central if they had held on to these guys, but general manager Nick Krall opted not to do so. Castellanos allegedly did not even receive a call from Cincinnati, despite 34 home runs and 100 RBI in 2021, and instead signed a five-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Reds lost 100 games in 2022 and eventually became a shell of its former self. Castillo was dealt to Seattle at the trade deadline, while Mahle and Kyle Farmer joined the Minnesota Twins. They joined their former teammate in Gray, who's been stellar through six starts in 2023, posting a stunning 0.77 ERA while fanning 41 batters.
This paved the way for a trio of prospective pitchers—Graham Ashcraft, Hunter Greene, and Nick Lodolo—to take over the Cincinnati rotation in 2022. Each has impressed since their debuts and the Reds have reportedly been in talks to extend both Ashcraft and Lodolo, while Greene was already signed to a six-year, $53 million deal last month. As for the starting lineup, the only Cincy hitters rostered in more than 25% of leagues are India, Tyler Stephenson, and Wil Myers, but are there others that should be considered? Sure, the Reds are just 13-17 and are in fourth place in the Central, but the individual performances of Nick Senzel, Spencer Steer, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, and Henry Ramos could be valuable to a multitude of fantasy lineups. Let's take a closer look.
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Nick Senzel - 3B/OF
Senzel, the second-overall pick by the Reds in the 2016 MLB Draft, was named NL Player of the Week on May 1. Senzel went 10-for-21 (.476) at the plate, hitting two home runs and a double while driving in nine runs and stealing one base. The Georgia native also provided in the clutch, hitting a walk-off home run to beat the Texas Rangers on April 26.
Since a decent rookie campaign in 2019 in which he hit 12 home runs and knocked in 42, the 27-year-old has never quite lived up to expectations. Across 69 plate appearances this season, however, Senzel is slashing .290/.362/.468 and ranks in the 93rd percentile in xBA. Could this be the breakout Cincinnati has been waiting for? He's still just 31% rostered and offers third base and outfield eligibility.
Spencer Steer - 3B
A player I kept an eye on periodically in April was Steer. The former third-rounder made his debut in Sept. 2022 and quietly made a name for himself throughout the first month of the season. The 25-year-old infielder slashed .253/.337/.407 with six doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, and 10 walks. While not blowing the cover off of the ball by any stretch, Steer is an ideal candidate to stream here and there. Oddly, he has much better numbers when manning third base rather than first.
When at the hot corner, Steer is hitting .308 with a .895 OPS in 77 plate appearances. He's not a bad choice to add to your watchlist, because although he doesn't possess a lot of power, he has a bit of upside and is only 10% rostered.
TJ Friedl - OF
Outfielder TJ Friedl, 27, went undrafted and was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 2016. He cracked the big league roster in Sept. 2021, and despite appearing in just 72 games last season, now seems to be a regular in Cincinnati's lineup. In 30 games, the lefty has produced a .313/.361/.434 slash with a pair of dingers and 11 RBI. Certainly respectable, but not necessarily sustainable. His Savant page displays a lot of blue but could be worth a stream (13% rostered) against righties if lacking in outfield depth.
Jake Fraley - OF
Fraley is yet another 27-year-old left-handed bat in the Reds lineup. A former second-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays, Fraley was included in the deal that sent Winker and Eugenio Suarez to the Seattle Mariners. He's appeared in 27 games for Cincy this season but fits the profile of a bench player. He's appeared in only 192 games across five seasons, with a career-high in homers coming in 2022 with 12, and career-highs in both RBI (36) and walks (46) coming in 2021. It's worth noting that Fraley was sidelined by a knee injury last season that limited him to just 68 games.
It's entirely possible that his numbers may have been better, especially considering that he batted .295 alongside a .903 OPS with 11 home runs, 25 RBI, and 22 BB in the second half last year. Overall, Fraley is off to a so-so 2023 but has come alive across his last seven games with a homer, seven RBI, and a 1.068 OPS. Get him while he's hot!
Henry Ramos - OF
And finally, that brings us to Henry Ramos. The 31-year-old's contract was selected by the Reds on April 24, and he's started in the eight games that followed. During this span, the right fielder has batted .310/.412/.379 with a triple, three RBI, and five walks. Albeit a small sample size, he's played quite well for Cincinnati since his call-up. Ramos has had a bit of a tumultuous career.
Originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2010, the journeyman also spent time in the Rangers, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks organizations, not making it to the majors until Sept. 2021 with Arizona. Ramos played for the KT Wiz in the KBO league as well and was a member of team Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic. Perhaps with some stability in the Reds' lineup, Ramos will be able to find some offensive consistency.
Cincinnati elected to move forward with a young, fairly inexperienced core rather than retain the likes of Castellanos, Winker, or Suarez in their lineup following the 2021 season. With Senzel, Steer, Friedl, Fraley, and Ramos seemingly all exceeding expectations thus far, along with India, Stephenson, and Myers, the Reds have surprised a bit in 2023. However, their bullpen is a glaring weakness, and they've been unable to put it all together and, as mentioned, have played to just a 13-17 record this season. It makes one wonder what could've been had ownership decided to go all in on the star power they previously possessed. Perhaps the Reds could have still been a contender instead of in the basement of the National League.
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