Obscure offseason addition brings blindsiding pop to Reds spring training games

Not much was made of the Cincinnati Reds' early-offseason signing of Will Banfield, but the longtime minor league catcher, who received a non-roster invite to camp, is making his presence felt during the first week of Cactus League play.

Banfield smoked a triple — yes, a triple — during Cincinnati's spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. The ball came off the bat at 106.8 mph and travelled 400 feet. In a lot of major league ballparks, that's a home run.

But Banfield's hit didn't clear the fence. It did, however, allow the backstop to rumble around the bases and reach third without issue. He scampered home a fielder's choice two batters later and put the Reds on the board 3-1. Cincinnati went on to score two more runs that inning and left the park with a 3-3 tie — extra innings are not part of the Cactus League.

Will Banfield brings blindsiding pop to Reds spring training games

But this wasn't Banfield's first power-packed hit of the spring. During the Reds' spring training opener against the Cleveland Guardians last Saturday, Banfield unloaded on pitch during the bottom of the sixth. This one cleared the fence, and then some.

Banfield's blast was sent into orbit, traveling 408 feet with a 103.7 mph exit velocity. That monster shot broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Reds cruised to a 6-3 win over their in-state rival.

Unfortunately for Banfield, his chances of making the Reds Opening Day roster are basically zilch. Unless one of Tyler Stephenson or Joe Trevino suffer an untimely injury this spring, Banfield has no shot to break camp with the Reds. Even if there was a spot available, it's quite likely that Austin Wynns would get the nod over Banfield.

But the former second-round pick is definitely building a case to begin the 2025 season as the Reds' top catching option at Triple-A. Banfield had been in the Miami Marlins farm system for years, and after becoming a free agent this past fall, decided to ink a minor-league deal with Cincinnati.

Banfield mashed 23 homers for Double-A Pensacola in 2023, so it's not as if this power-stroke has come out of nowhere. Catcher is arguably the Reds' weakest position top-to-bottom in the organization, and if Banfield's slugging spring continues, the Reds will undoubtedly hope to maintain him as an in-house option heading into the 2025 season.

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