1 Reds player who deserves more praise for their performance

Admit it, you gave up on Nick Senzel. Hey, I know I did. After the trade deadline passed and there was talk of his role with the team, I really thought his time in Cincinnati was over.

This only intensified once the Cincinnati Reds optioned Senzel to Triple-A. To be fair, Senzel was struggling, both in the field and at the dish. The Reds were also in line to face a lot of right-handed pitching and Senzel had been relegated to a platoon role against lefties only.

Senzel took his time getting to Louisville, but he went nonetheless. Whether he made some tweaks while in the minors, I have no idea, but we've seen a different version of Nick Senzel since he returned from Triple-A Louisville.

Reds infielder Nick Senzel who deserves more praise for their performance.

Nick Senzel played six games for the Louisville Bats last month. The 27-year-old went just 5-for-30 (.192) with two extra-base hits. But a bevy of injuries forced the Cincinnati Reds hand, and the team recalled the former first-round pick back up to the big leagues.

Let it be known that Senzel was passed over for the likes of Noelvi Marte, Michael Siani, Henry Ramos, and Trey Mancini. It wasn't until Joey Votto landed back on the IL that the Reds had no choice but to activate Senzel.

Since his return to the lineup, Senzel has hit .341/.370/.568 with a wRC+ of 147 according to FanGraphs. Against left-handed pitching during that time, Senzel is hitting .481 with an OPS of 1.333 and a wRC+ of 257.

Nick Senzel, due to his lack of performance since being taken with the second-overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, has been a punching bag for years. And while it's true that Senzel has never lived up to the hype that comes with such an outstanding resumé, Reds fans have to give credit where credit it due.

Senzel will enter the upcoming offseason with two years of team-control remaining. With so many young players coming up through the farm system, it'll be interesting to see whether or the Reds see Senzel in their plans for 2024.

No matter how things shake out for Nick Senzel over the winter, the University of Tennessee alum deserves more praise than he's received for his performance this season. Not just for how he's carried himself on the field, but in the clubhouse as well.