Reds Opening Day decision puts all the pressure on Will Benson

In something of a surprise, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Will Benson has officially made the club's Opening Day roster. It's not undeserved. The 27-year-old put together a fantastic spring that included a jaw-dropping inside-the-park home run, fending off some tough competition from JJ Bleday and others to win the job as the club's preferred left-handed-hitting outfielder.

It's a stunning turn of events for a player who seemed to be in Terry Francona's doghouse and who the club seemed to be maneuvering out of the picture with some of the offseason acquisitions. The catalyst for his falling out of Francona's favor seemed to be his admiring of a near-homer that turned into a triple last July. The lack of hustle clearly drew the veteran skipper's ire, but the punishment at times seemed to outweigh the crime.

Make no mistake, Benson earned his spot, and kudos to Tito for recognizing that, but just because he's here today doesn't mean he'll stick around for the long haul.

Reds outfielder Will Benson now needs to justify Terry Francona's faith in him

Overall, Benson's performance has rarely matched up to his tools throughout his big league career. After an impressive 2023 campaign that saw him slash .275/.365/.498 with a 128 wRC+, Benson has been below average at the dish the last two seasons, authoring a 76 wRC+ in 2024 and an 85 mark in 2025.

He hits the ball hard, has power, speed, and enough defensive chops to be serviceable at all three outfield positions, but he's never put it all together for a full season.

He'll need to do so in 2026 if he wants to hold on to his roster spot. On the left-handed front, Bleday hasn't been fully eliminated from the Opening Day conversation, either, and worst-case scenario, he bides his time down in Louisville waiting for Benson to slip.

Rece Hinds and Dane Myers have both had excellent spring showings, and one may make the roster while the other serves as a threat to Benson should he stumble. A bit further down the pike, top prospect Hector Rodriguez is lurking and potentially could surpass all of these guys and steal a spot away. After what he did last season, his rise seems inevitable.

All in all, it's both a great time and a horrible time to be a Cincinnati outfielder. They've all pretty much shown out in spring training, building a level of competition that is cutthroat and deep. For Benson, that means time is running out. The Reds will no longer wait around to see if he can put it together. They have options now, so he'll need to hit the ground running from Day One if he wants to stick around.