Nick Senzel looks to take a bite out of the Big Apple as the Reds battle the Yankees

Nick Senzel has been the Reds hottest hitter over the past month.

Luis Castillo may be the Reds All-Star representative and Brandon Drury deservedly belongs in the Midsummer Classic in LA next week, no Cincinnati Reds player has been better over the last month than centerfielder Nick Senzel.

in his last 30 games, the former Tennessee Volunteer is slashing .317/.375/.406 with two homers, 12 RBIs, and five stolen bases. Additionally, since being dropped to the bottom third of the batting order, Senzel is hitting a blistering .393 in 66 at-bats.

Another element the former second overall pick of the 2016 draft brings to the ballclub is speed. Senzel's five stolen bases place second on the team, but his speed is not limited to the basepaths. According to Baseball Savant, his sprint speed ranks in the 83rd percentile when patrolling the outfield.

What does it all mean? Your guess is as good as mine. Keep in mind, Senzel has never played more than 104 games or accumulated as many as 400 at-bats in a season since making his big league debut during the 2019 season. However, if he's able to duplicate his recent success in the second half of the season, the Redlegs will have one less question mark as they prepare for the 2023 campaign.

Prediction: Reds vs. Yankees

Nobody is going to confuse this Reds-Yankees matchup with the 1976 Fall Classic, but the Redlegs will enter the Bronx on a season-high four-game winning streak. Will their winning ways continue?

Not a chance. Look for the Yankees to take two of three before the Cincinnati Reds travel to St. Louis to close out the first half of the 2022 season with a weekend showdown with the division-rival Cardinals.