4 Reds players who should immediately borrow the Tito Speedo

What started out as a good-natured joke directed toward their manager has become a bit of a good luck charm in the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse. The "Tito Speedo" was a gift from catcher Tyler Stephenson to his skipper, Terry Francona, and it's brought some good mojo to the wearer in recent weeks.

Stephenson himself was said to be wearing the Francona-embossed swimwear under his uniform on Monday night, and the Reds' backstop went 1-for-4 with a monster home run during the fourth inning to put Cincinnati up 7-0 over the New York Mets.

Jeff Brantley hilariously called the item a thong during Monday's broadcast saying, "You know you talked about some of the things that Tyler Stephenson was changing, just from a looks standpoint. Pants are up. You talked about the thong. You talked about the mustache. You know what that does? That takes your mind off of the pressure of the game."

While The Cowboy may have misidentified the clothing itself, his point still stands. Sometimes players just need to have a distraction from the day-to-day grind of the game, and perhaps it's time for Stephenson to allow some of his Reds teammates to borrow the Tito Speedo for a game or two; properly washed, of course.

Reds OFs TJ Friedl and Will Benson may want to borrow the Tito Speedo

Two players who could definitely use a bit of good fortune are TJ Friedl and Will Benson. Both players have become bystanders of late, and if there's a left-handed pitcher on the mound, there's no way Friedl and Benson will find their way into the batter's box.

Friedl's downfall is much more surprising than Benson's. Not only is the Reds' centerfielder struggling to hit for average, but he's not even getting on base with regularity. The 30-year-old's advanced metrics have never stood out, but he's now striking out more and walking less. He's fallen out of favor with Francona this season, and is currently occupying a bench role.

Benson is arguably as physically gifted as anyone in the Reds' organization not named Elly De La Cruz, but he's been wildly inconsistent throughout his career, and his performance this season is no exception. Benson's .179 batting average should've already had him on a flight back to Louisville, but his 15.8% walk rate is saving him from yet another trip back to the minor leagues.

Matt McLain might need the Tito Speedo more than any other Reds player

Matt McLain's struggles from 2025 were thought to be left for dead after his showing in Goodyear this spring. Unfortunately, he's proving the old adage to be more than true; putting stock in spring training statistics is a fool's errand.

McLain has bounced up and down in the Reds' lineup since the beginning of the season and is hitting below the Mendoza line. If he's unable to right the ship in the coming weeks, there's a young prospect by the name of Edwin Arroyo who's looking to take his job. Whether it's the Tito Speedo or just some good old fashioned diligence at the plate, McLain needs to find a way to break out of his current funk.

If the Tito Speedo works for Reds pitchers, Tony Santillan should try it

Tony Santillan's fall from grace is something to behold. Without Emilio Pagán, most Reds fans assumed the team would turn to Santillan to be the club's closer. But his performance over the past several weeks has been downright embarrassing.

Santillan's made 22 appearances on the year. Through his first 11 outings, he allowed just three hits and struck out 12 batters over 10⅔ innings of work without allowing a run. But over his last 11 relief appearances, Santillan is 0-2 with a 11.32 ERA and has watched eight balls leave the yard.

There's no telling what type of effect the Tito Speedo might have on a pitcher's performance, but given the alternative, it's worth a shot.

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