The Unlikely Mid-Season Breakout Of Will Benson

In a development that almost no one saw coming, the Cincinnati Reds lead their division at the halfway stage.

Whereas last year they lost 100 games, they now lead the National League Central Division with a 43-38 record. Whereas earlier this season they were 7-15, 14-20 and 20-28, they are now half a game up on their nearest rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers. It matters not that their Pythagorean expected win/loss record of 39-42 is only ever so slightly better than that of the last-placed St Louis Cardinals (nine games back) at 38-41, a reflection of the fact that they are probably overachieving somewhat; the luck and momentum is with the Reds right now, and they are playing much better than they were.

In large part, this is because the future arrived early. While their starting rotation (aside from the recently-extended Hunter Greene and phenomenal rookie Andrew Abbott) continues to struggle, a much better than expected bullpen has been paired with an offence that has become as potent as anyone’s. The team that scored only 4.00 runs per game last season is up to 4.96 this year, going from 23rd in the majors to seventh. And at the crux of that line-up transformation has been the infusion of new young talents.

In particular, Matt McLain (.909 OPS through his first 40 MLB games) and all-world prospect Elly De La Cruz (.874 and already with a cycle to his name) have taken over the at-bats formerly belonging to Wil Myers and Jose Barrero, and blown them off the roster altogether. Spencer Steer (.852) is contributing in every way, T.J. Friedl (.885) is having a breakout campaign, and gone are almost all of the fill-in types of last year – Austin Romine, J.T. Riddle, Albert Almora et al.

But perhaps no one is more representative of the Reds’ in-season growth than Almora’s replacement, outfielder Will Benson.

Benson was acquired in the offseason from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for minor league outfielder Justin Boyd (who had hit .183 in A-ball) and Steve Hajjar (a high-A starter acquired as the third part of the Tyler Mahle trade a few weeks prior). As opposed to the long-term prognosis of most of the Reds’ best and/or most recently acquired prospects, Benson was on the cusp of the majors, and had recorded 61 at-bats down the stretch of the 2022 season.

Making the team out of spring training, it was expected that Benson – a player with a lot of tools in his favour – would take advantage of the extended run-out he would get to open the season due to the lack of competition. But this certainly did not happen. Quite the opposite of what was expected from a majors-ready prospect, Benson instead drowned at the plate, recording 12 strikeouts and only one hit in his first 20 at-bats across twenty games.

Quickly, he was optioned back down to the Triple-A Louisville Bats. But even there, the problems continued. In 37 more at-bats in the month of April in the minors, Benson continued to flail away at the plate. He struck out another 21 times, recording a .108 batting average with only one extra base hit.

Since then, though, the rebound has been astronomical, and it began with not losing his discipline. In those 37 Triple-A April at-bats, Benson was willing and able to also draw 11 walks – the .108 batting average was thus slightly offset by a .313 on-base percentage. The high walk rate would hit the moon in May – 21 walks in 60 at-bats – while the strikeout rate dropped, recording only 14 on the month.

With this, Benson’s powerful frame (standing a well-built 6’5) came to fruition, and the extra-base hits started coming in. So too did the baserunning, recording 11 steals across his first 28 games with the Bats, an added bonus alongside the 1.026 OPS he posted for the month of May. Where so recently he had been the worst performer of the lot, Benson had earned his way back to the bigs.

This time, he did not drown. Since being recalled, it has all come together – a .357 batting average, 14 walks, 13 strikeouts, a .613 slugging percentage and a 1.093 OPS in the month of June has seen Benson be the best hitter of late, even in a line-up featuring De La Cruz.

Only turning 25 this month. Benson’s great eye at the plate, his power, his speed and his strong outfield arm are all clicking at the same time, turning him from a fringe AAA player to one of the brighter points of the resurgent Reds. Baseball, as ever, is cyclical and cynical. But while past results do not determine future ones, the present Will Benson is one of the best hitters in baseball.