Two overlooked Reds hitters are exposing front office's stubbornness

Will Benson and Rece Hinds have been making the Cincinnati Reds front office look ridiculous. Fresh off a home run in four straight games, Benson is proving all doubters wrong. Hinds has hit two homers of his own, and also racked up a double in limited playing time. Reds fans are beginning to wonder why these two weren't recalled sooner.

Benson has smacked 11 hits, five homers, and two doubles through 29 plate appearances since being recalled from Triple-A May 9. Through 75 plate appearances with the Reds, Blake Dunn totaled only nine hits, two for doubles, and one homer. That's a stark difference. Some Reds fans may think Benson's resurgence seems random, but he's smashed in Triple-A Louisville all season.

Though Dunn and Hurtubise deservedly won roster spots out of spring training, nothing but stubbornness kept them in the big leagues while Benson and Hinds were in the minors. Mediocre defensive play and pitiful hitting performances somehow allowed Dunn and Hurtubise to stay on the active roster much longer than they deserved.

The Reds front office missed the mark keeping Will Benson and Rece Hinds in the minor leagues

It's no secret the Reds' offense has struggled mightily at times this season, and Dunn's ineptitude at the plate didn't help. Other than being hit by more pitches than anyone else in baseball through mid-May, the 26-year-old outfielder never put it all together. If it weren't for injuries, he probably would've been sent down sooner.

Hinds' .281 batting average with eight bombs through 33 games and limited strikeouts (for his standards) should have thrust him to the big leagues faster. Through the first two weeks of the season, Hurtubise rode the bench, wasting a precious spot for either aforementioned Reds' slugger. Hurtubise collected one hit through 12 at-bats in limited playing time but offered almost no upside.

Both Benson and Hinds can get hot and stoke the embers. The front office knows all this — they're smart baseball minds — but unrelenting stubbornness got in the way of good decision-making.

The Reds are finally hot and winners of four in a row. Streaks have punished Cincinnati thus far in 2025, but the Reds somehow find themselves back at .500. If injuries begin to slow down and key players work their way back to form, the NL Central could be up for grabs in the near future. Cincinnati has 12 of their next 15 games against division opponents. Buckle up, Reds fans.

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