Spencer Steer

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

https://www.si.com/mlb/reds/news/cincinnati-reds-utility-player-spencer-steer-still-recovering-from-shoulder-injury-01jkvdv2rcqq

Still dealing with a sore shoulder, 5 months later. I can't see how this isn't something serious if it's still a thing he's dealing with. Seems like if 5 months didn't heal it and it's still bad enough you can't field a position, you need surgery and are just refusing to get it.

[*bengalfan74*]

Yes something seems a little off about this. I wonder what if any this injury impacted his 2024 drop of .50 in batting average and .100 in OPS?

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-12-2025, 07:10 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Yes something seems a little off about this. I wonder what if any this injury impacted his 2024 drop of .50 in batting average and .100 in OPS?

I think that was mostly just him coming back to reality. He hit .259/.354/.479 in AAA. The only level he was a .270 hitter was A+, which is part of why he was never a ranked prospect, so the .271 in MLB in 2023 was the oddity.

The shoulder wasn't until later in the year which is why he hit .165/.268/.294 in Sept which did bring down his overall numbers.... but he was already hitting .235/.327/.421 before that while healthy.

[*bengalfan74*]

(02-12-2025, 07:37 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I think that was mostly just him coming back to reality. He hit .259/.354/.479 in AAA. The only level he was a .270 hitter was A+, which is part of why he was never a ranked prospect, so the .271 in MLB in 2023 was the oddity.

The shoulder wasn't until later in the year which is why he hit .165/.268/.294 in Sept which did bring down his overall numbers.... but he was already hitting .235/.327/.421 before that while healthy.

Probably right, but here's to hoping at least a couple of em not named Elly do something this season. 

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

He had 92 RBIs in a "bad year" and in a season where there was barely anyone on base in front of him because very few Reds players could hit.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-12-2025, 09:05 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: He had 92 RBIs in a "bad year" and in a season where there was barely anyone on base in front of him because very few Reds players could hit.

He actually had more PA with runners in scoring position in 2024 than he did in 2023. Same with having a runner on 3rd with <2 outs.

That's not to deny he hit very well with RISP in 2024, just that the barely anyone on base in front of him statement isn't true. A large part of it was in 2023 he had 235 PA batting 5th or later, and in 2024 it was only 117.

[samhain]

(02-11-2025, 11:10 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: https://www.si.com/mlb/reds/news/cincinnati-reds-utility-player-spencer-steer-still-recovering-from-shoulder-injury-01jkvdv2rcqq

Still dealing with a sore shoulder, 5 months later. I can't see how this isn't something serious if it's still a thing he's dealing with. Seems like if 5 months didn't heal it and it's still bad enough you can't field a position, you need surgery and are just refusing to get it.

Not good at all.  It seems like this team does a relatively poor job of managing injuries.  I wouldn't put it past them to encourage him to gut it out.  More than one player played through injuries long enough to make them significantly worse in 24.

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

(02-12-2025, 09:11 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: He actually had more PA with runners in scoring position in 2024 than he did in 2023. Same with having a runner on 3rd with <2 outs.

That's not to deny he hit very well with RISP in 2024, just that the barely anyone on base in front of him statement isn't true. A large part of it was in 2023 he had 235 PA batting 5th or later, and in 2024 it was only 117.

Hey, that's awesome. That's also probably why he had more RBI in 2024 in his perceived "bad year/Sophomore slump" when the team batting average went from a .249 to .231 in one season.

I wonder how many got picked off base or were caught stealing while he as hitting?

Post-lockdown Reds with over 75 RBI and stolen base leader
2021 - Castellanos 100, Votto 99, Suarez 79 . . . Akiyama 7 stolen bases. Reds 34 SBs - 24 caught stealing
2022 - Farmer 78 . . . India 12 SB. Reds 58 SBs - 33 CS
2023 - Steer 86 . . . De La Cruz 35 SB. Reds 190 SBs - 48 CS
2024 - Steer 92, De La Cruz 76 . . . De La Cruz 67 SB. Reds 207 SBs 45 CS

De La Cruz not only led MLB in SB, strikeouts and errors, he also led in CS with 16. Just from him alone, that's 16 runners on base removed in front of the #3, #4 or #5 hitter. Benson with 7 CS and Fraley had 5 CS. Do they still count as at bats with runners on base? They should create a new stat that factors that in and call it RBI plus or something.

Steer is also one of the very few Reds that pitchers would want to pitch around. CES and McClain weren't there so it was pretty much Steer all of last season.
 

[TecmoBengals]

So even if he plays he's probably going to struggle at the plate with a lingering shoulder injury/slow recovery.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-13-2025, 03:32 AM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Hey, that's awesome. That's also probably why he had more RBI in 2024 in his perceived "bad year/Sophomore slump" when the team batting average went from a .249 to .231 in one season.

I wonder how many got picked off base or were caught stealing while he as hitting?

Post-lockdown Reds with over 75 RBI and stolen base leader
2021 - Castellanos 100, Votto 99, Suarez 79 . . . Akiyama 7 stolen bases. Reds 34 SBs - 24 caught stealing
2022 - Farmer 78 . . . India 12 SB. Reds 58 SBs - 33 CS
2023 - Steer 86 . . . De La Cruz 35 SB. Reds 190 SBs - 48 CS
2024 - Steer 92, De La Cruz 76 . . . De La Cruz 67 SB. Reds 207 SBs 45 CS

De La Cruz not only led MLB in SB, strikeouts and errors, he also led in CS with 16. Just from him alone, that's 16 runners on base removed in front of the #3, #4 or #5 hitter. Benson with 7 CS and Fraley had 5 CS. Do they still count as at bats with runners on base? They should create a new stat that factors that in and call it RBI plus or something.

Steer is also one of the very few Reds that pitchers would want to pitch around. CES and McClain weren't there so it was pretty much Steer all of last season.
 

I won't swear it 100% certain, but I think if a player gets caught stealing or picked off during the PA, so long as the batter is still at the plate continuing their PA, it doesn't count as one with runners on.

I am largely basing that on the fact that if a runner gets CS for the 3rd out, the batter that was standing at the plate (even if he's seen multiple pitches) still hasn't actually had a PA yet, and they start over next inning.

- - - - - -

The crazy thing about all those CS you listed? Being picked off while trying to come back to the bag is not counted as a caught stealing, which happened a LOT last year. Oddly enough I can't find anywhere that actually keeps track of a player getting picked off. A pitcher has how many pickoffs they did listed as a total, but not so for individual baserunners.

[*bengalfan74*]

I don't know? Perhaps it wasn't as bad as it seemed? But it sure seemed to me the Reds had a ton of base running mistakes, lost a lot of games from it, including caught stealing. They seemed to not be using their heads a lot. It's one thing to be aggressive base runners. And it's another to try to turn a double into a triple with no outs and not being that fast. The ball being hit to hard and the outfielder getting it quick.

I'm hoping Francona can get them to play smarter baseball with some tough love so to speak.

[samhain]

I think the recklessness on the base paths was a calculated strategy beginning in 2023. It wasn't a terrible idea, to be honest. Teams like the Reds have to gain any advantages they can. When the rules changed and the bases got bigger, the incentive to steal was significant. If you're a team with young (cheap), athletic offensive players, you should be all over that.

Unfortunately, the Reds didn't score or win enough to get to a point where they could afford to stop being reckless. I view it as slinging things against the wall to see what sticks.

David Bell was not an awesome manager. I doubt he had a plan B when the plan A of running like scalded dogs all year started to go sideways.