Dane Myers breakout could unlock Reds lineup in unexpected way

Dane Myers recently Euro stepped his way into Reds fans’ hearts. When the Cincinnati Reds traded for Myers during offseason, it wasn’t even clear that he would have a role. After all, the Reds have a slew of outfielders on the 40-man roster that could platoon. As TJ Friedl has slumped, Myers has emerged as a viable center fielder and spark plug.

Myers had appeared in 22 games this season. Only four of those appearances have been starts. Coming off the bench, whether as a defensive replacement or a pinch-hitter, Myers is hitting .357 with an .828 OPS.

Dane Myers has emerged as the Reds' go-to bench bat

Throughout his career, Myers has been significantly better against left-handed pitchers (.792) than right-handers (.572), although that split has reversed itself this season. If he returns to form against southpaws, he will be even more valuable to the Reds, who finished 26th in the majors in OPS against left-handed pitching last season.

Myers is perhaps the only bright spot in the Reds’ outfield right now. Noelvi Marte is back at Triple-A, while Friedl and Spencer Steer have started the season rather poorly. The Reds’ outfield ranks last in batting average, slugging, wRC+, and several other offensive statistics. Myers offers a ray of hope.

Myers plays baseball with grit and daring, as evidenced by the flair of his head-first slide against the Tampa Bay Rays this week. He typically pushes the limits on the base paths. He’s not the fastest in his age-30 season, but he's still bold, attempting to grab an extra base more than the average big leaguer.

Given the hot streak that the middle of the Reds' batting order has been on of late, a player like Myers could be an extremely effective table-setter. He’s making great contact (xBA of .372 and wxOBA of .457), and he’s controlling the zone (9.4% walk rate).

It may be time for Reds manager Terry Francona and the rest of the coaching staff to see Myers as less of a bench bat and more of a member of the regular rotation, at least until Friedl gets back to his usual form at the top of the lineup.

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