How Tyler Naquin became the Cincinnati Reds starting center fielder

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.

Since 1981, the Reds have had five center fielders finish a season with an OPS at .769 or greater while playing 100-or-more games in center field: Shin-Soo Choo, Drew Stubbs, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Cameron and Eric Davis.

This season, Naquin could join that list.

“There’s ups and downs in all seasons, and I wish I was swinging the bat even better the past couple games,” Naquin said. “I just go out there and play hard, and when I’m in there, I’m in there. I look forward to being in there every single day and produce and keep driving guys in.”

In April, Naquin received his initial playing time for reasons out of his control. Akiyama missed the first month of the season due to injury, which made Naquin the primary left-handed outfielder off the bench behind Senzel. On Opening Day, Senzel injured his left shoulder on a diving catch, opening the door for Naquin to start the next day’s game.

In that first start, Naquin had a hit, two RBI and a walk. The next day, Naquin got another short-term opportunity for playing time.

Winker missed four days with a stomach bug between April 4 and April 7. When Winker returned, Naquin had a .316 batting average, a 1.382 OPS and 13 RBI in five starts. In one of those games, on April 7, Naquin went 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBI.

“He has made the most of it, right from Day 1,” Bell said. “He has had a great attitude. He's enjoyed being here, he appreciates being here and he's just made the most of it.”

Naquin got two more starts on April 20 and 21 when Castellanos was suspended for two games. On April 21, Naquin had two hits and two RBI.

In five of the Reds next seven games, Naquin came off the bench, but second baseman Jonathan India entered a slump at the end of the month that created an opportunity for him.

Senzel approached the coaches about a “flex utility role,” and he made his first start at second on April 30. At the time, Naquin had a .266 batting average and a .914 OPS.

When Senzel moved to second base, Naquin took over in center for good.

Akiyama returned from the injured list in Cleveland on May 7. During that series, Naquin went 3-for-8 with a line drive home run to center field. As he made a run for more playing time, Naquin said he wasn’t feeling pressure.

“I know if I’m healthy and able to be on the field, the rest is going to come,” Naquin said. “I wasn’t feeling pressure. It was more pressure to be healthy.”

Since that series in Cleveland, Naquin, a left-handed hitter, has started 36 of his last 46 games. He only came off the bench when the Reds faced a left-handed starting pitcher and when he dealt with a sore wrist last week. 

On Saturday against the Cubs, Naquin hit a home run to the top of the right field sun deck, displaying the power that has made him a regular in the Reds lineup.

“He just has such natural power,” Bell said. “He has, kind of, I don't know how to explain it, but kind of a handsy kind of swing. He can flick it and it goes a long way. He still has good leverage. He has a lot of power. He hits the ball hard.”

With Senzel on the IL since the middle of May, Naquin is starting almost every game over Akiyama. India bounced back from his slump in April and has become one of the best rookies in the National League, and Naquin has settled into the fifth spot in the batting order.

“We're really seeing what kind of player he can be, which is really exciting,” Bell said. “You look at what he's done for us this year, hitting in the middle of the order, picking up with (Senzel’s) injuries, and he has just been a big part of our success. He has done it in every way.”