Reds: 3 players most likely to improve league-worst batting average

The Reds must improve their league-worst batting average from a year ago.

Without bringing in any free agents other than Sean Doolittle this offseason, if the Cincinnati Reds are hoping to improve upon the league-worst .212 batting average from a year ago, they’ll need to rely upon players who are already within the organization. Which three players are most likely to help boost the team’s batting average in 2021?

The Reds bats were atrocious in 2020. Granted it was only a 60-game season, and players like two-time All-Star Javier Báez former NL MVP Christian Yelich struggled as well, but the Cincinnati offense scuffled all season to get the team’s batting average above the Mendoza line.

Heading into the 2021 season, the team cannot afford to get off to a sluggish start. While power is the name of the game for some of Cincinnati’s best players, if the Reds are pounding out home runs with the bases empty, it’s only worth one run. However, there are some players currently on the team’s roster who could prove to be valuable hitters during the upcoming season.

Taking the non-qualifiers out of the equation, Jesse Winker was the team’s best hitter in 2020 ratcheting up a batting average of .255. Kyle Farmer (.266) and Tyler Stephenson (.294) had better stats, but neither player accumulated more than 100 at-bats in 2020. Eugenio Suárez hit a paltry .202 and Tucker Barnhart posted a .204 batting average.

Let’s take a look at some past statistics and see how some of Cincinnati’s players ended to the 2020 season to see if we can gain some insight as to who’s ready to breakout as the best hitter on this year’s Reds team. Regardless of who steps up, the Reds cannot afford to be at or near the bottom of the league in batting average and hope to compete in 2020.