Reds news: Humbled Jesse Winker to start All-Star Game

Jesse Winker received the news prior to Thursday’s game. The Cincinnati Reds outfielder was named to his first All-Star Game, and he’ll be starting in left field. After last night’s victory over the San Diego Padres, Winker was overjoyed to be named to the National League starters in the Midsummer Classic, but approached the situation with a great deal of humility as well.

Winker is fairly quiet player off the field. If you’ve ever listened the the Jim Day Podcast, you know that Da Wink has overcome some maturity issues earlier in his career. However, those issues appear to have been extinguished, and the Reds’ left fielder is now a starter in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game, and he’s incredibly thankful for the opportunity.

Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos will represent the Reds in the All-Star Game.

Cincinnati’s dynamic duo of Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos will represent the Reds in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game. This will be the first trip to the Midsummer Classic for both Winker and Castellanos and the first time that the Reds have two starters in the game since Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips.

Winker was incredibly thankful for the opportunity and recognized the support that he and Castellanos received from the fans. Winker acknowledged that Cincinnati is a small-market team, so the fact that Reds Country helped rock the vote and send both outfielders to the All-Star Game was not lost on the 27-year-old.

Jesse Winker has certainly earned this opportunity, as Cincinnati’s left fielder has played admirable defense all season, proving that he’s more than just a designated hitter. However, Winker’s hitting is what makes him elite.

Winker is slashing .322/.400/.587 with 19 home runs and 48 RBIs. The Buffalo, New York native owns a 154 OPS+, which is sixth best in the National League. Winker trails only Castellanos and fellow All-Star Adam Frazier in batting average. Only Castellanos and Max Muncy have a higher on-base percentage than Winker.

This is a much-deserved honor for a player who’s bettered himself every single season he’s been in the big leagues. Jesse Winker signed a one-year/$3.15M contract with the Cincinnati Reds this past winter and is under team-control for another two seasons. Signing Winker to an extension should be priority No. 1 for Cincinnati’s front office this offseason.