Photo: Mark Meeks/Todd Norris/Chattanooga Lookouts
No one is having a better start to spring training with the Cincinnati Reds than 23-year-old infield prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand. He’s played in seven games so far this spring and is hitting .643, slugging 1.143, and he’s struck out just one time in 15 plate appearances.
The Reds 7th rated prospect has done nothing but hit as a professional. Selected in the 4th round out of Oklahoma State after hitting .361/.442/.661 in 2021, the Minnesota Twins sent him to Fort Myers after the draft where he hit .391/.424/.598 in 22 games before the season ended. In 2022 he began his season in High-A Cedar Rapids before being promoted to Double-A Wichita. The Twins then traded him to Cincinnati at the deadline in the deal for Tyler Mahle, and the Reds kept him in Double-A by moving him to Chattanooga. Between those three stops he hit .304/.368/.587.
He’s hit everywhere he’s ever been and he’s showing zero signs of slowing down. Encarnacion-Strand is not on the 40-man roster because he hasn’t needed to be added yet due to the fact that he was drafted in 2021. That could be working against him if you were looking for a reason that Cincinnati would potentially keep him off of the big league roster to start the season. But that hasn’t stopped them in the past, either. Nor have they seemed to play service time games in the last few years, either, instead opting to call up Tyler Stephenson, Jonathan India, Jose Barrero, Nick Lodolo, and Hunter Greene when they were ready to step into the lineup or rotation.
It’s still just March 6th, and there’s only been a handful of games played. But there could be a path for Christian Encarnacion-Strand to make the team. Joey Votto still isn’t playing in games, and there hasn’t even been a report that he’s taken the next step in his rehab to start getting ready to play in games yet. The longer that goes on, the more likely it is that Votto isn’t ready to begin the season. If he’s not ready, that means that first base could be open for at least a little bit to start the year. Encarnacion-Strand has split his time in the minor leagues between third base and first base.
Cincinnati’s got a plan in place to get Tyler Stephenson plenty of time at first base and designated hitter this year. But thanks to that designated hitter spot now being full time in the National League, it opens up more opportunities for the Reds to also get a guy like Encarnacion-Strand on the team and be able to get him regular playing time – even if he does need to play some at third, some at first, and some as the designated hitter in a scenario where everyone can still play somewhat regularly.
