Cincinnati Reds positional preview vs. NL Central: center field

Whether it’s Shogo Akiyama or Nick Senzel manning center field for the Reds remains to be seen. How do they match up against others in the division?

Who’ll be the Cincinnati Reds starting centerfielder when the 2020 season begins is anyone’s guess. The Reds signed Shogo Akiyama to a three-year contract in early-January after the 31-year-old experienced a stellar career in Japan. Nick Senzel, a former first-round pick, was moved from the infield to center field last season. How do the Reds stack up against their division rivals?

The days of Billy Hamilton roaming the Reds outfield have come and gone. While Hamilton was outstanding in the field, his bat left much to be desired. Hamilton was sent packing last offseason and replaced in the outfield by Scott Schebler, who eventually gave way to Cincinnati’s rookie Nick Senzel.

A variety of bumps and bruises limited Senzel to just 104 games in the bigs last season and the 24-year-old ended the 2019 season on the injured list with a shoulder injury. The late start to the 2020 season likely puts Senzel on schedule to start the year on the Opening Day roster. However, Senzel will have competition in the field this season.

Cincinnati signed Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama to a free agent deal, and the former NPB All-Star will get plenty of reps in the Reds outfield. While Akiyama can play all over the outfield, his forte is up the middle. This will impact the way in which David Bell utilizes his players, but we’re sure to see of plenty of both Akiyama and  Senzel.

But how does Cincinnati hold up against fellow centerfielders in the division? Last year’s Gold Glove Award winner resides in the NL Central, though a two-time winner of that award is now in the NL West. Where do the Reds centerfielders rank among division foes?