Reds might finally be watching this long teased bat arrive

When Rece Hinds was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, the expectations were through the roof. Hinds possessed the type of raw power GMs can only dream about, and if he was able to harness that tool and turn into true in-game power, he could be a difference maker. Given the results through his first nine games this spring, Hinds may have finally figured it out.

Hinds hit a walk-off winner for the Reds during Thursday's exhibition game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After a pair of walks from Alfredo Duno and PJ Higgins, Hector Rodriguez's RBI double put runners on second and third with nobody out and the Reds trailing 13-11. Hinds unloaded on an 0-1 slider that was center-cut, and that was the end of the ball game.

You can never overreact to spring training stats. Pitchers are experimenting with new offerings and pitch shapes while hitters are trying out new batting stances. So any stats you see during spring training should be taken with a grain of salt. But Hinds has been on-fire to start Cactus League play this year.

Reds slugger Rece Hinds is in line for an early-season call-up

He's gone 6-for-12 his first nine games with a double, a triple, and two home runs. Those are the types of numbers that will get you noticed by the coaching staff, and don't think that Terry Francona hasn't been paying attention.

At the moment, however, it's difficult to see Hinds making the Reds Opening Day roster unless an injury occurs. The trio of TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marte, and Dane Myers are expected to break camp with the big-league club, and the battle for the final outfield spot is likely to come down Will Benson or JJ Bleday.

But Hinds has done a terrific job so far of putting himself in position to be the next man up due to poor performance or an early-season injury. Marte received a call-up in April last season and never went back down. Benson had an abbreviated stay of his own in April, but came back in May and remained on the big-league roster through August.

Hinds' power can be game-changing, and he closed the 2025 Minor League season with an emphatic burst of pop. Over the final two months of the season, Hinds hit .301/.309/.534 with five doubles, a triple, and eight home runs. After struggling to hit big flies in 2025, the Reds could use Hinds' bat during the upcoming season.