Scooter Gennett

The expectations were high for Gennett entering the 2019 season after hammering 23 homers with the Reds in 2018, but an injury during spring training derailed his year from the very beginning, and he was never able to find his groove. He hit just .217 with five RBI and 20 strikeouts in 21 games for the Reds prior to the trade deadline, and he didn't fare much better in San Francisco, slashing .234/.254/.391 with two homers and six RBI across 21 contests before ultimately being handed his release. His K% was a big problem, as he whiffed in 29.5% of his at-bats. Gennett will undoubtedly generate interest over the offseason and is expected to get another chance to slot in as an everyday second baseman, especially after hammering 60 home runs while registering 189 RBI across his last two healthy seasons.

Betting on regression is on average a smart play. That's especially true when a batter nearly doubles his career high in homers and posts his highest batting average. That bet wasn't so smart in regards to Gennett in 2018. The Cincinnati native continued to enjoy home cooking with the Reds, defying expectations of regression by hitting .310 with 23 homers, 92 RBI and 86 runs. His performance, his relatively low cost and his enthusiasm for staying in the Queen City also changed the Reds' midseason plans. Instead of trading him before the deadline, they contemplated instead signing him to a long-term extension. Neither has happened yet, and while plans can still change, it looks like Gennett will stick around. A transition to center field seems to be the solution to the lingering Nick Senzel question, so Gennett should once again see everyday work at the keystone.

For the second year in a row, Reds general manager Dick Williams struck gold off the waiver wire at the conclusion of spring training, claiming Gennett from the Brewers, one year after nabbing Dan Straily in a similar fashion. Gennett began the year as a pinch hitter and spot starter, and that role morphed into a super sub capacity where he'd start four-to-five times per week beginning in June, after his four-homer game against the Cardinals. He wasn't the Reds' full-time second baseman until mid-July. He still has a significant platoon split, hitting .248/.287/.404 against southpaws in 2017. With top prospect Nick Senzel close to the majors, the Reds will have to figure out how to apportion playing time between Gennett, Senzel and Jose Peraza, who still might end up as the club's shortstop. At the very least, look for Gennett's batting average to regress, as his walk and strikeout rates did not improve along with his power outburst last year.

Gennett mustered a career-high 14 home runs in 2016, but his overall batting line remained mediocre at .263/.317/.412. On the bright side, he managed a respectable .260/.333/.375 line against the southpaws he has struggled with so much in his career, but that improvement was mitigated by a career-high 21 percent strikeout rate. While Gennett is good enough to be a useful situational player, he is not a good enough player to be a primary second baseman at the major league level. It's looking like he'll get phased out in 2017 due to the presences of Orlando Arcia and Travis Shaw, which will leave Jonathan Villar to get the bulk of the second base at-bats in Milwaukee.

After a couple of solidly above-average seasons as a platoon player, the Brewers gave Gennett a full-time role to begin 2015 and he promptly collapsed. Gennett still can't hit left-handed pitching at all, as he managed a putrid .114/.139/.171 mark in just 36 plate appearances before the experiment was over. Gennett was acceptable against righties (.279/.310/.403), and there may still be some value to his skill set considering most second basemen hit right-handed, but the dream of Gennett as an impact full-time player seems to be dead. Gennett is slated to start at second base for the Brewers in 2016, but there will be some more competition as Jean Segura, Yadiel Rivera and Jonathan Villar will all be in the mix for playing time across the infield. For fantasy purposes, Gennett is most useful in daily formats or other leagues that allow owners to maximize his playing time against righties.

Gennett, in his first full big league season, finished 2014 with the fifth best OPS among second basemen who saw at least 400 plate appearances. He hammered right-handed pitching, but went just 4-for-39 against southpaws while sharing time at the keystone with Rickie Weeks. Though Weeks is expected to move on this offseason, Gennett’s struggles against southpaws could still land him in at least a soft platoon next year. More starts would help Gennett’s counting stats, but given his struggles against southpaws, that could result in a decrease in his ratios.

Gennett always hit for average in the minors, but there were questions as to whether he would be able to maintain that ability in the big leagues. It didn't take him long to provide answers, as he hit .324 in 69 games in his first big league season. Gennett will have trouble matching last year's power production over a full season, and he needs to take more walks, but his ability to put the bat on the ball could earn him a spot near the top of the order. Gennett's 2013 performance likely has him ticketed to open the 2014 campaign in some sort of a second-base platoon with Rickie Weeks.

Gennett entered last season as the Brewers' fifth-ranked prospect, according to Baseball America, and did not disappoint, hitting .293 with five home runs, 30 doubles, and 44 RBI in 133 games. Gennett's numbers are not eye popping, but at age 22 with a career .300 batting average, he is the Brewers' top second-base prospect. Gennett won't push Rickie Weeks off the keystone in Milwaukee, but he could be a replacement down the road if the Brewers avoid using him as trade bait before then.

Gennett hit .311/.356/.465 at Low-A Wisconsin in his first season of pro baseball. His small size has scouts wondering if he can produce in the majors, but so far he's proven them wrong. He'll start 2011 at High-A Brevard County.