Why Dane Myers Should Be the Reds’ Center Field Answer Right Now

The Reds need to trust Myers to be the guy.

Cincinnati Reds center fielder Dane Myers (17) scores on an Elly De La Cruz single in the first inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The Reds led 4-1 after three innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds are surging; they have finished April at 20-11 and sit in first place in the NL Central.

While the Reds are playing well, some weaknesses need to be improved upon. One of those is the centerfield position. While TJ Friedl is hitting better of late, his range in the outfield has been declining, and he's played very well in left field when he's been moved over there as a defensive replacement. When he has been moved over to the left, the Reds have brought in Dane Myers. This has been a good strategy, but it's time to make Myers the everyday center fielder.

While we wouldn't say Myers is a perfect candidate by any means, he is an upgrade over what the Reds are currently getting from Friedl in center and at the plate. Myers currently has a slash line of .286/.423/.357, which gives him a .780 OPS. Friedl, on the other hand, .187/.269/.280, which equals an OPS of .549. Obviously, Myers doesn't have anywhere near as many plate appearances as Friedl, but in his small sample size, he's been significantly better.

To dig even further into the numbers, Myers expected batting average is sitting at .349, Friedl's is .189. Myers expected slugging is at .619, where Friedl's is .253. Myers also doubles Friedl's walk percentage, has half the whiff%, and although Friedl's defense is currently grading a little better, it's safe to say it isn't a big enough drop off to keep giving him the majority of the at-bats in center field.

The first thing people are going to point to in disagreement is that Friedl has swung the bat better of late. That isn't incorrect by any means. In his last seven games, he's hitting .292/.292/.625. This would definitely play, but he hasn't drawn a single walk in that stretch. Myers, on the other hand, in his last seven, .357/.550/.571 with 6 walks.

This isn't to say Friedl can't help the Reds win; he's certainly proven himself a valuable part of the team during his career in Cincinnati, but right now, as the Reds face tough decisions around the lineup, this one is an obvious solution for the time being. Myers has been the better player; he has more range, and he gets far more barrels. This isn't a perfect solution, but for the time being, it's the one that likely helps the team the most.