Spencer Steer Proved His Worth for Cincinnati Reds in Rookie Season

Nobody played more games for the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 than Spencer Steer. 

Steer also played more positions for the Reds than anyone else on the roster. He was a leader on the field and in the clubhouse for a young team. 

The 26-year-old showed he's a building block and should be part of the Reds foundation for years to come. 

Steer’s first full season in the major leagues was solid. His .271 batting average is nice, but his .820 OPS is better. Steer showed off his great plate discipline and keen batter’s eye by getting on base better than 35% of the time but also drove in 86 runs. He was a stabilizing force on the team.

For those that wanted to nitpick, myself included, his defense was a challenge. That will happen when you’re just getting acclimated to the bigs and have to play five different positions throughout the year. With the Reds moving him to left field, seemingly full time, the hope is his defense will improve. It has nowhere to go but up. 

Steer had a sneaky base running ability. He had 15 steals last season. It's fair to expect a similar number this season. He was in the 77th percentile of spring speed at 28.4 feet per second. To give some context, Elly De La Cruz was at the top at 30.5 ft/s. That's not too bad for a run producer.

In his first full season, Steer showed that the Reds did well in the Tyler Mahle trade. He should be an everyday mainstay for years to come.