Cincinnati Reds: Could Aristides Aquino be a one-hit wonder?

After an exciting MLB debut. in 2019, will Aristides Aquino be able to maintain his current stature for the Cincinnati Reds as an everyday player?

By the end of the 2019 Cincinnati Reds season, Reds fans had a new fan favorite to cheer for and look forward to seeing play every day. Aristides Aquino came onto the scene and took the league by storm, hitting monstrous home runs at an alarming rate when this team and this town really needed something to cheer for. Will Aquino continue to play at a high-level in 2020?

In just 56 games, Aquino hit 19 home runs, which in itself is remarkable. Aquino’s hit .257 with 47 RBIs. While in the field, Aquino maintained a strong .980 fielding percentage and his electric arm was on full display more than once.

With a small sample size of some very exciting plate appearances and maintaining an 8.4% HR-rate, there was a notable drop as the season ended, which leads Reds fans to wonder whether or not Aquino’s exciting entrance to the league is the start of long term success, or was he a one-hit wonder?

In the small sample size Aquino presents himself a strong defensive outfielder who can hit for power.  According to Baseball Reference, Aquino is projected in 2020 to hit .259 with 20 HR, 53 RBI in just 313 plate appearances. These number done exactly jump off the page, however, they are largely based off the stats presented from 2019 season as opposed to the assumed role that Aquino would take on as an everyday outfielder.

Aquino, if designated as the everyday right fielder for the Reds in 2020, would presumably have between 400-600 actual plate appearances. Considering this information, Reds Country would, and should, get excited for what Aquino’s output possibilities could be next season.

The question as to whether or not Aquino will continue to maintain long-term success for what he presented this past season is an interesting one. Honestly, the answer is no, and that would go for most any player throughout Major League Baseball.

However, Aquino doesn’t really need to maintain that pace and those numbers, as he will be able to contribute through his hitting and his defense at a Major League level as he continues to grow and get better throughout the next few seasons.

Considering the insane rise of production he displayed in such a short time period with the Cincinnati Reds, Aquino may be classified as a one-hit wonder.  However, when considering his potential and his natural ability, Aristides Aquino will create a new value with more chances at the plate, and perhaps come out with new excitement for Reds fans to get excited about.