3 Reds who’ve made the biggest statements this spring

Nick Castellanos, Reds outfielder

Nick Castellanos looks like a man on a mission this spring. Has everyone just forgotten that the Cincinnati Reds had one of the best winters of any major league ball club last year? The Reds inked Mike Moustakas, Shogo Akiyama, and Wade Miley, then shocked everyone with the addition of Castellanos. The former Tigers’ outfielder will be looking to redeem himself this season.

Castellanos started the spring the 0-for-13 with five strikeouts and no walks. While it’s just spring training, I’m sure there was a collective sigh from Reds Country wondering if Castellanos was going to struggle in 2021 as much as he did during his inaugural season with Cincinnati.

But Castellanos flipped the switch and he’s been on a tear over the past few weeks. Over his last seven games, Castellanos has hit safely in every game, stringing together 12 hits, including two home runs, a double, and a triple. Over those seven games, Castellanos is hitting .667. That’s good, right?

The Cincinnati Reds need Nick Castellanos to be a force in the middle of the batting order this season. The slugger started out on fire last season. Riding a 12-game hitting streak, Castellanos began the 2020 season hitting .366/.447/.878 with six home runs and 13 RBIs. But, over the final 48 games of the season, Castellanos hit just .192/.262/.395.

Castellanos has the opportunity to opt out of his current contract following thee 2021 season, but it’s hard to see that happening if he posts numbers similar to what we saw in 2020. The 29-year-old has all the incentive in the world to produce big numbers this coming season, and if his spring is any indication, Nick Castellanos is ready to make a statement this season.