Terry Francona just raised the stakes for this Reds newcomer

JJ Bleday already had something to prove after being DFA’d and then non-tendered by the A’s at the end of the 2025 season. Now, the prospect of a position battle with an established player in the Cincinnati Reds’ system has added to the pressure he's facing. In order to displace Will Benson as go-to lefty platoon bat on the depth chart, the newcomer needs to impress this spring.

Cincinnati reporter Charlie Goldsmith examined the relationship between Benson and Reds manager Terry Francona, who also worked together in Cleveland. The skipper emphasized Benson’s streaky hitting but stressed his usefulness as a left-handed bat with the ability to play all three positions. Francona stated, “I’ve never not been impressed with Will’s outlook.” Not inspiring words for fellow lefty outfielder Bleday.

Terry Francona’s praise for Will Benson has put Reds newcomer JJ Bleday on the hot seat entering 2026

Bleday, too, can play all three outfield positions, but although he tied for second among big-league outfielders in putouts in 2024, he hasn’t been the most steady glove historically. Over four seasons, he has a -8 fielding run value. He has a penchant for astounding catches, but these may be due to his poor jumps. The bases-loaded diving catch below, for example, looks spectacular, but actually had an 85% catch rate according to Statcast.

Bleday and Benson represent slightly different approaches to platooning/bench roles from a hitting perspective. Benson is the prototypical masher of right-handed pitching (not dissimilar from Miguel Andujar last season) and is a “three true outcome” player. Projections put him around a 10% walk rate and a 30% strikeout rate with a home run every 27 plate appearances.

Bleday, on the other hand, has hit lefties and righties equally well (or not so well) in his career. Against southpaws, he boasts a .219/.269/.390 line while against right-handers, his line is .214/.317/.395. That balance would normally tip the scales in Bleday’s favor, but overall, his hitting is fairly weak even compared to the streaky Benson.

If Benson polishes his fielding and evens out his highs and lows, he’ll be a clear favorite to win the fourth outfielder job coming out of spring training. Bleday, a former first-round pick like Benson, has much more to prove going into 2026. Thankfully, both players have minor-league options remaining.