Cincinnati Reds positional preview vs. NL Central: left field

Jesse Winker has finished the past two seasons on the injured list, but the 26-year-old is expected to be the starter in left field for the Cincinnati Reds.

When the 2020 season begins, by all accounts, Jesse Winker is likely to be the starting left fielder for the Cincinnati Reds. Winker, a former first-round pick, has had an up-and-down start to his major league career. The 26-year-old shows tremendous promise, but lacks the ability to stay on the field. How does Winker stack up against his fellow left fielders in the NL Central?

Winker has not had the type of start to his big league career that Reds Country had hoped. Taken with the 49th pick in the 2012 MLD Draft, Winker made his major league debut in 2017. A turbulent season in 2018 found Winker as part of an outfield platoon with him on the outside looking in.

Some solid play during June of 2018 got Winker more playing time, but an injured shoulder shelved the then-25-year-old for the remainder of the season. Jesse Winker got off to a horrendous start last season, but salvaged a slash line of .269/.357/.473 with 16 home runs and an OPS of .830.

Looking around the division, the left field spot is one that’s hard to rank. The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals are likely to run out second-year players in 2020, while the Chicago Cubs left fielder slugged .531 last season. Oh yeah, and the Milwaukee Brewers best player will likely suit up in left field this coming season. So, let’s see what the NL Central looks like in terms of left field talent.

5. Jesse Winker, Cincinnati Reds

I almost feel bad writing this, because I don’t think Jesse Winker is a bad ball player. I think it speaks more to the talent that exists at the left field position in the National League Central. Winker has ended the past two seasons on the injured list, and until he can prove that he can remain heathy for an entire season, it’s hard to rank him higher than No. 5 in the division.

Again, I don’t think Winker is a bad player. In fact, if given the opportunity, I expect Winker to play up his potential and possibly lead the Reds in on-base percentage in 2020. Winker has a keen eye at the plate and showcased his power last season with a career-high 16 home runs. However, Winker did struggle against southpaw, going just 7-for-43 with no homers against lefties.

Jesse Winker catches a lot of flack from certain sections of the Reds fanbase, but I believe he’s due for a solid season at the dish. He’ll never be a Gold Glove defender in the outfield, and the possibility exists that Shogo Akiyama could land some starts over Winker in left field. Phillip Ervin is another option if Winker struggles as he did at the beginning of last season.

4. Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals

Let me be clear, Tommy Edman could skyrocket up this list if he has another season like he did in 2019. There also lies the possibility that Edman will gain a better foothold at third base rather than left field, but that depends on how well Matt Carpenter plays. Edman is going to start almost every game for the Cardinals in 2020.

Edman had an outstanding rookie campaign in 2019, going 99-for-326 (.304) with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs. Edman was a versatile player on last year’s NL Champion St. Louis team, having started games at second and third base as well as the outfield. Again, Edman will find a spot on the everyday roster, and with Harrison Bader and Dexter Fowler, it’s likely to be in left field.

3. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates

Boy, if you don’t know the name Bryan Reynolds, you better quickly do some research. Last year’s rookie broke through in a big way for the Pittsburgh Pirates and one of the better up-and-coming young players in the National League Central.

A former second-round pick of the San Francisco Giants, Reynolds made his big league debut last season. The switch-hitter hit .314/.377/.503 with 16 homers and 68 runs batted in. I don’t think there’s much argument that Reynolds was Pittsburgh’s best player in 2019 with Kevin Newman getting some love as well.

None of the tools in Reynolds bag are going to blow most scouts away, but the 25-year-old Vanderbilt alum does a lot of things well. He can hit for power and has a glove that plays all over the outfield. Reynolds started 68 games in left field last season and is likely to find a home there in 2020 as well.

2. Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs

Hey, it’s every Reds fans favorite player from Middletown. All kidding aside, Kyle Schwarber put up some big numbers in 2019. The left-handed hitting outfielder punished the ball, slashing .250/.339/.531 with 38 round-trippers and 92 RBIs. The former IU Hoosier is entering 2020 with an eye towards a big payday.

Schwarber signed a one-year deal just north of $7M for the 2020 season and has one year of arbitration left before becoming a free agent. The Chicago Cubs may be looking to deal Schwarber during the upcoming season, as their core group of players are beginning to become quite expensive.