Reds Might Have a True Star Breaking Out Before Their Eyes

The Cincinnati Reds had two of the best hitters in the league with Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart dominating through the first month of the season, but Stewart has cooled off. De La Cruz has stayed hot, but he's been the only consistent staple in the Reds' lineup.

There are a few other players in the Reds' lineup who have been solid options, but nobody has been consistent through most of the year. But as the season has gone on, outfielder Spencer Steer has begun heating up for the Reds, and it's provided quite a boost in the middle of the team's lineup.

Spencer Steer is Heating Up for the Reds

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Spencer Steer (7) walks for the dugout after striking out to end the ninth inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, May 8, 2026. The Reds lost the series opener, 10-0. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Steer got off to a slow start, going 1-for-13 in the month of March. But he slashed .262/.340/.514 in the month of April, which brought his season-long slash line to .237/.318/.454 with an OPS near .800. Steer also crushed five home runs and six doubles in April. He ended the month on a three-game hitting streak, which he stretched into a 10-game hitting streak after the first seven games in May.

Steer has become a staple in the Reds' lineup this season because of his consistency at the plate and his defensive versatility. Steer is able to play anywhere across the infield or the corner outfield spots. He's an excellent defensive first baseman, which allows the Reds to slide Sal Stewart over to third base. The outfield defense is still coming around, but he's not a liability out there.

Steer's numbers are good on the surface, but the advanced metrics indicate this breakout is going to continue.

The Advanced Metrics Support Spencer Steer's Breakout

One of the best metrics to determine a player's power potential is pull air percentage. This number indicates what percentage of batted balls are pulled in the air, which directly correlates to a player's home run numbers. Steer has an elite pull air percentage of 23 percent, which puts him in the 92nd percentile in the league.

Steer has also increased his barrel rate from 7.6 percent to 15 percent, which is one of the largest jumps from year to year in the league. This barrel rate ranks him among the best in the league.

Steer is also running an elite launch angle sweet spot percentage, which directly correlates to his ability to slug. If he can continue hitting the ball hard, the Reds will be in a very good spot.

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