There is plenty for Cincinnati Reds fans to be excited about offensively, but veteran center fielder TJ Friedl has lagged behind some of his teammates thus far. The 30-year-old is slashing .153/.286/.153 with one RBI through 16 games thus far.

Although Friedl isn't a star, his talent does not match those numbers. The 5-foot-8, 180-pounder slashed .279/.352/.467 with 18 homers, 66 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases over 138 games in 2023, which was his first full big-league season. He then played just 85 games in 2024 after breaking his wrist in spring training, but he slashed .261/.364/.378 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs across 152 contests last year.

Conversely, rookie first baseman Sal Stewart is slashing .309/.435/.600 with four homers and 10 RBIs. The 22-year-old ranks fourth in baseball with a 1.035 OPS. Additionally, star shortstop Elly De La Cruz is slashing .281/.361/.563 with five homers and 10 RBIs.

A 16-game sample size isn't enough to make long-term judgments, but Friedl playing to his potential could elevate Cincinnati into the upper echelon of the NL. The club is currently 9-7 ahead of its home series against the San Francisco Giants, a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates atop the NL Central.

Reds Establishing Long-Term Core Around Elly De La Cruz

Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl (29). © Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Although Friedl is under team control through 2028, he must assert himself as an essential piece for Cincinnati to guarantee he sticks around beyond that. Currently, Stewart is the main player putting himself in that category besides De La Cruz despite being a rookie.

However, Friedl isn't the only outfielder struggling on the Reds right now. Left fielder Spencer Steer is slashing .176/.218/.353 with two homers and four RBIs, while right fielder Noelvi Marte is slashing .138/.194/.138.

Fellow center fielder Dane Myers, who Cincinnati acquired from the Miami Marlins in December, is the one performing well in the position group. The 30-year-old is slashing .300/.333/.300 with one RBI over 14 games.

While it's always a nice bonus for teams when backups unexpectedly perform well, the Reds need Steer, Friedl, and Marte to all step up. All three players developed in their system and have played for them for multiple years, so it would be a setback if none of them become above-average players.

Cincinnati is coming off a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Sunday's rubber match at home. Tuesday's series opener against the Giants starts at 6:40 p.m. ET, and right-handed pitcher Brady Singer will start for the Reds against southpaw Robbie Ray.