“Jason Vosler, Cincinnati Reds starting first baseman”. Since 2007 the Reds first base position has been occupied by a player with the initials “J.V.”. Those initials however have belonged to Joey Votto up until the start of this season. With Votto starting the year in Triple-A Louisville on the injured list, the new “J.V.” Jason Vosler has assumed the role at first. The former DFA’d player by San Francisco signed a minor league deal with an NRI to Spring Training with the Reds this winter. Now the question has risen of, can the Reds, and more importantly the stadium they play in, generate another throwaway player’s talent.
Jason Vosler: The next Reds utility man?
Yes I know, it’s only been a week into the 2023 season. But you can’t help but wonder if Vosler’s production early on is a sign to come. A 2014 mid-to-low round draft pick for the Chicago Cubs, Vosler was never a guy that popped off the page while labeled a prospect. Though he never showed it in his big-league action, Vosler produced potential major-league power in his time in the minors. Between 2017 to 2021 he smacked 79 home runs across Double and Triple-A. However, in 171 at-bats with the Giants in 2021 and 2022, he was only able to collect seven.
In 15 at-bats this season, Jason Vosler already has climbed to one home run off his career high of four. So what has changed? Was it the boost of confidence he received after making the Opening Day roster? Perhaps he has taken advantage of the next opportunity given to him in the big leagues. Of course, playing in Great American Ballpark can play a factor in a player tapping back into his power potential. The Reds over the last couple of seasons have been good at this. A few names come to mind as players that either found the long ball in their game or rejuvenated their careers. Let’s take a look at them.
Former Reds players with similar situations as Jason Vosler
2022 Brandon Drury- Drury signed a minor league deal with the Reds prior to the 2022 season. Spending the 2021 season with the New York Mets, Drury hit four home runs on the year. In 92 games with the Reds in ‘22, he was able to find his power. With 20 home runs and a .855 OPS, Drury was traded to San Diego and was a key addition en route to the NLCS.
2021-2022 Tyler Naquin- The left-handed hitting outfielder came to the Reds after a down year in Cleveland. Like Jason Vosler and Drury, Naquin signed a minor league deal in 2021. Naquin ended up being a dependable bat in right field during his time in Cincinnati. Playing 183 games he hit 26 home runs and slashed .263/.324/.467 with the team. He was traded at the 2022 deadline.
2017-2019 Scooter Gennett- Scooter may have played on some bad team’s in Cincinnati, but he made the most of his time. In 2017 he became the 17th player to hit four home runs in a game. 2018 he made his first All-Star game in his career hitting .310/.357/.490 with 23 home runs. In a little over 300 games inside Great American Ballpark, Gennett hit .298 and registered 50 home runs. Gennett also had a historical game hitting four home runs in the same game.
Final Thoughts:
As previously mentioned, the sample size for Vosler is extremely small. It’s hard to judge a player off this little amount of at-bats. However the makeup with Vosler is there. He may be 30 years old already, but he is still a controllable piece for the Reds. As a pre-arbitration guy, the Reds have the ability to hold onto him if they desire. With the ability to play both corner infield spots, along with getting reps in the outfield during pre-game, Vosler could prove to be a key asset if his bat can hold up.
Main photo credit: Sam Greene-USA Today Sports
Players mentioned:
Jason Vosler, Joey Votto, Brandon Drury, Tyler Naquin, Scooter Gennett
