Cincinnati Reds: Scooter Gennett shows he’s the future at second base

All season long, we’ve heard that Nick Senzel will be the future second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. Scooter Gennett showed once again why he, not Senzel, is the future at second base.

Alright, the debate is over. To be honest, it’s been over for a while now. Scooter Gennett, not Nick Senzel, is the future for the Cincinnati Reds at second base. Gennett just added an exclamation mark last night with what would be the game-winning home run in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Now, before we get too deep into this, let me be clear. I think Nick Senzel is a phenomenal prospect. These scouts have forgotten more baseball than I’ll ever know. Senzel has all the tools you look for in a player. He can hit for average and has some pop in his bat. This kid is going to be good.

In saying all that, I just don’t think his future with this organization, at this time, will be at second base. That belongs to Scooter Gennett. Gennett has proven, over the last two years, why he’s so valuable to the Cincinnati Reds organization.

Last season, Gennett slashed .295/.342/.541 with 27 home runs and 97 RBIs. Fast forward to this season, and Gennett’s numbers are up. In 2018, his slash line is .312/.360/.490. On the season Gennett has 19 home runs and 72 RBIs. He’s on pace for 26 home runs and 100 RBIs.

Gennett has put together back-to-back fantastic seasons for the Cincinnati Reds and will likely receive a nice raise next season. Scooter is making $5.7 million this season and is in the last season of team control heading into 2019. Gennett has also spoken about this desire to reach a long-term contract extension with the Reds.

Keeping Gennett through the MLB Trade deadline virtually assures that he will be the starting second baseman heading into the 2019 season. Whether he and the Reds reach a long-term extension in the offseason is anyone’s guess.

Scooter Gennett is a Cincinnati-native who wants to live out his boyhood dream of playing for his hometown team. He’s a fan favorite, perhaps the most popular player on the team right now, and is playing the best baseball of his career. Gennett has earned the starting job at second base the hard way, and he should keep it into 2019 and beyond.