Rece Hinds needs more than a clever marketing gimmick to make Reds Opening Day roster

Rece Hinds has changed his uniform number. Rather than No. 77, the Cincinnati Reds outfielder will don the No. 57 this spring. The back of the jersey will now read, 'Hinds 57'...get it? That's pretty clever and fun way to promote yourself. In a day and age when social media and branding are at the forefront of advertising, athletes are always looking for fun and creative way to make themselves more marketable.

But Hinds' ingenious marketing gimmick won't amount to a hill of beans if he's not on the Reds Opening Day roster. Nobody's going to rush out to buy a Louisville Bats No. 57 jersey from the team store, and at the moment, the Derby City likely where Hinds will begin the 2025 season.

Rece Hinds needs more than clever marketing gimmick to make Reds Opening Day roster

Hinds was the Reds second-round pick in 2018 and finally made his way to the big leagues in 2024. And boy did he burst onto the national stage. Hinds became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit five extra-base hits in his first two games. During his first week in the big leagues, Hinds was sending moonshots into the Cincinnati skyline, and it felt (for a moment) like the Reds had found their power-hitting outfielder.

But much like Aristides Aquino before him, Hinds' offensive outburst was short-lived. After hitting .500/.542/.1.409 during his first 24 plate appearances, Hinds posted a .063/.063/.125 slash line over the next four games. Hinds was sent back to the minor leagues, and received a call-up in late-August. But the slugger managed to receive just 11 plate appearances during the final month-plus. Hinds ended his 24-game introduction with five home runs, 11RBI, and a 1.051 OPS.

But strikeouts have haunted Hinds since his professional debut. In his 99 minor league games last season, Hinds struck out 160 times. That grotesque number came just a year after whiffing 151 times through 109 games at Double-A Chattanooga.

Hinds carries the loudest bat in the Reds organization, but if he can't fix that gargantuan hole in his swing, he'll be battling minor leaguers all season down at Triple-A Louisville. Reds fans are hopeful that the No. 57 will be more representative of Hinds' home run in 2025 and not his strikeout rate.

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