Cincinnati Reds: Reviewing Eugenio Suárez’s 2018 season

Following a breakout season, the Cincinnati Reds’ third baseman Eugenio Suárez had quite the 2018 season. Let’s take a look at what made Suárez an All-Star last season.

In his third full season at the hot corner, Cincinnati Reds‘ third baseman Eugenio Suárez saw a roller coaster start to the season. He was, however, able to stay consistent and end the season as the team’s top slugger and even one of the league’s best. Looking at the beginning of the 2018 season though, you could’ve guessed he was due.

During Spring Training, Suárez made it known early and often his passion in developing with this team. That commitment was rewarded with a contract extension totaling $66 million over seven years. This meant Suárez would be sticking around till 2024 and possibly through 2025 with a club option for $15 million on the table.

On the Reds’ first road trip of the season, the team had already started slow (1-3) and was facing a weekend series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. During the third game of the series, Suárez broke out with five RBIs to give the Reds a comeback victory. The next day, things took a turn for the worst.

In the fourth inning of the Sunday game, Suárez was struck by a fastball on the right thumb and ultimately fractured it. His next stop would be the 10-day disabled list and an eventual rehab assignment with the Louisville Bats. As if the season couldn’t start any worse for the Reds, they now were without a huge part of the offense.

When Suárez came back from the disabled list, it was like he never left. His offense picked right back up and continued to rise, while the team’s record continued to fall. His stats turned heads and his defense backed it up.

Suárez earned his first career All-Star selection along with fellow Cincinnati Reds Scooter Gennett and Joey Votto this past summer. While he only had one at-bat, Suárez represented the Reds and the city of Cincinnati well.

Ending the season with a .283 batting average, 34 home runs, and 104 RBIs, Suárez shattered his career-highs in each. Pair that with a .526 slugging percentage that was 15th best in the entire league, even better than Giancarlo Stanton and Bryce Harper to name a few. All in all, with what Suárez was able to accomplish this season, he showed that he will be a force on the Reds for years to come.

Repeating a successful season, such as the one Eugenio Suárez displayed in 2018, will be tough, but the best is yet to come for the Red’s slugger. Suárez showed the team made a great investment in him and showed how much potential there still is left.

As a leader on an offensive-heavy club, Suárez stepped up and turned heads in the Queen City and the baseball world. The 2018 season was a dismal one for the Reds, but Suárez turned out to be a glimmer of what’s to come.