Cincinnati Reds' BIG Investment in Jeimer Candelario Starting to Pay Off After Rough Start

Candelario has broken out in a big way for the Reds over the past six weeks.

Jun 14, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario (3) runs after hitting a double in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports | Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Reds are slowly but surely rebuilding their season and one of the authors of that success is a man that was cast aside by most Reds fans in the first month of the season.

Right now, according the all-encompassing hitting statistic OPS+, Jeimer Candelario is the Reds best hitter. In fact, batting average and OPS also agree. Despite a dismal April, Candelario is proving to be worth the signing.

Just in case you are unfamiliar with the stat, OPS+ is a number that brings together the offensive stats of baseball and puts it on a scale where 100 is league average. That is the average hitter in the league (different from replacement level) so this is different from WAR. Where WAR takes everything into account, this is just hitting, and Candelario has been a valuable hitter.

He’s hitting .356 in the month of June, so far, and has a 1.090 OPS. Six of his 12 homers have come in this month and he’s had only one game where he didn’t record a hit. He’s been the consistent force for this lineup as it has inched closer to being what we expected.

The Reds signed Candelario to a three-year, $45 million deal in December. That investment has paid off over the past six weeks.

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