CINCINNATI – As the Reds continued to bounce around in the midsummer months, there was a very apparent issue with their offense: the lack of any semblance of a leadoff hitter. Just about every resource had been exhausted with every batter attempting to take a crack at the job, except for 3B Eugenio Suarez.
Suarez was seen as the traditional power hitter to both GM Pablo Dominguez and manager Joe Torre. Suarez would hit third and fourth all season up until late August, putting up quality numbers at that too (.915 OPS in those slots). Dominguez had decided however that it was time to shake things up.
After getting some quality advice from a former colleague that also worked for the Reds before his arrival, his colleague insisted that he should try out Suarez in the leadoff spot. Adding that he was not only capable of performing in that role, but also could spark other players to follow in his suit and get the entire offense rolling.
“My old friend, Daydro, as we liked to call him in our playing days, was very persistent on this idea and was telling me to experiment with it even before August. I guess it was about time I took his advice” added Dominguez.
After discussing the idea with the old-school and conventional Torre, he also became intrigued in the idea of leadoff hitting Suarez.
Torre has not been shy about the change made for Suarez to hit leadoff,
“Let’s be real here, I’m 78 years old and quite frankly this is one hell of a new age and wild idea to take your best slugging hitter and hit him leadoff. 30 years ago, hell, 20 years ago I’d have been grilled for this move… but now in 2021, and given how mediocre the offense had been up until then… why not?”
And now most importantly, Torre would have to get Suarez on board. Luckily for the Reds, Suarez was more than happy to do anything that would potentially help the team that was struggling, but still fighting for a postseason spot. What Suarez did not know however is how this move would catapult his personal offensive numbers to heights he’s never had, and as a result, the 2021 Reds offense woke up.
Suarez would go on to have an absolutely menacing end of the season, particularly in September and October where the games mattered most.
.319/.382/.770, 17 HR, 31 RBI, 37 R in Sept/Oct
And much to Dominguez’s old friend Daydro’s credit, the rest of the offense did follow suit. One of the biggest benefactors from the Suarez shift being CF Nick Senzel.
Senzel moved to the ninth spot in the lineup as now he would get the best protection in the entire lineup as well as being the best baserunner on the team (if reaching) being on for the best hitters in the entire lineup (Suarez, Votto, Herrera). Senzel played his best baseball down the stretch as a result.
.348/.419/.578, 11 XBH, 19 R, 9 SB in Sept
The Reds were down to 6.3% playoff odds coming into the series against Milwaukee, and of course Suarez made his best effort to keep the team alive hitting three home runs in the series as the Reds swept the Brewers. Luckily for them, the St. Louis Cardinals would end up taking two of three from the NL Central favorite Chicago Cubs. A game 163 was now needed to decide the winner of the NL Central.
Despite losing their SP Lucas Sims after only one inning, the Reds managed to put together a convincing win and advance to the postseason for the first time since 2013 and their first NL Central title since 2012. Suarez earned player of the game honors with his efforts in game 163, again driving the Reds offense with a 3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 3 R performance.
That win was the fifth straight for the Reds to close out the season, and they needed every single one of them to finally return to the postseason. If not for the ingenuity of management, and the level of play Suarez responded with, the Reds would in no way be playing postseason baseball in 2021.
Suarez made no point to give himself any credit in the postgame and instead acknowledged all his teammates.
“What a ride it’s been huh? I couldn’t be prouder of my teammates to keep fighting this last month or so. This moment right here is worth all the **** we fought through to make this division ours and to get a chance to fight some more for a World Series.”
Suarez would end the year with career bests largely across the board.
617 AB, .274/.372/.595, 54 HR, 124 RBI, 112 R, 8.1 WAR
But if you were to ask him what matters most, it’ll be the 2021 NL Central Pennant and maybe more that will be raised in Great American Ballpark in 2022.