Reds decision on Rece Hinds feels like beginning of the end

Ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cincinnati Reds recalled outfielder Blake Dunn from the Triple-A Louisville and optioned Rece Hinds back to the minor leagues. This feels like a harbinger of things to come for the former second-round draft pick.

Hinds had a strong showing during spring training and was off to blazing-fast start at Triple-A Louisville. In 13 games, Hinds hit .354/.475/.771 with five home runs, 16 RBI, and a 211 wRC+. Those numbers, combined with the early-season struggles from Noelvi Marte, helped Hinds receive a call-up to the big leagues.

Reds outfielder Rece Hinds could be DFA'd soon

Unfortunately, Hinds was unable to maintain his momentum once he joined the Reds' active roster. He appeared in a dozen games for Cincinnati and hit just .121/.167/.212 while striking out 50% of the time. He's now on his way back to the Derby City and could be tracking toward a DFA in the near future.

Hinds' rise to prominence was eerily similar to that of Aristides Aquino in 2019. Much like The Punisher, Hinds has consistently displayed otherworldly power at the plate, but his penchant for strikeouts has haunted his steps. From 2020-2022, Aquino struck out 36.2% of the time. Through Hinds' brief Major League career, he owns a 42% strikeout rate.

Hinds pummeled opposing pitchers during his brief stint in the big leagues back in 2024. While the strikeouts were still high (31.4% K-rate), they could be excused thanks to his .261/.333/.717 slash line. But once Hinds proved he could hit the fastball at the big-league level, the opposition made an adjustment.

During his rookie season in 2024, Hinds saw a heater in 31.7% of his at-bats. Last season, that number dropped to 18.7%. This year, opposing pitchers are only throwing their fastball 10.8% of the time. In other words, until Hinds shows that he lay off breaking balls, that's about all he's going to see.

If Hinds hopes to work his way back to the big leagues, the opportunity is squarely in front of him. But he's been down this road before, and has yet to make the necessary corrections. If Cincinnati's front office and coaching staff doesn't see improvements in Hinds' plate discipline and pitch selection, he could soon be out the door just like Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Much like Encarnacion-Strand, Hinds has shown tremendous power potential. Nevertheless, that didn't stop the Reds from trading CES earlier this season — a fate that could soon be waiting for Hinds if he fails to make adjustments.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow