TJ Friedl is the Cincinnati Reds’ new ‘spark plug’ and center fielder

On Apr 5, 2023

On Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl laid down the first sacrifice bunt of his MLB career. It was a successful play that set up a game-tying run in the first inning, but Friedl still wanted more from the play.

Friedl knows the scouting report on him is out, and he’s always eying the third base line to see if there’s a window to bunt the ball. Every time he comes up to the plate, the opposing team’s third baseman is standing in front of the third base bag, waiting for Friedl to lay down a bunt.

Friedl’s one of the best bunters in baseball, and he’s looking to get a hit every time he does it. He always tries to lay down the perfect bunt at the perfect angle and get himself on base.

Tuesday’s game against the Cubs was the first time that Friedl has had to settle for just a sacrifice. He’s such a greedy bunter he says he’ll never change his approach.

“Bunting is always something that will be a part of my game, whether I’m hitting 50 home runs a year or five home runs a year,” Friedl said. “Even if I turn into the biggest power hitter, which I’m not going to. I promise you. It shows you the extent to why bunting will always be a part of my game. It creates chaos.”

Friedl, 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, wouldn’t have made it this far if he didn’t have that mindset. He’s not a power hitter. He got on base at an average clip in the minor leagues. He’s fast, but he was never the player who stole 30 bases in a season.

And yet here he is as the Reds’ center fielder. After a strong finish to the 2022 season, Friedl has become an every day player who hits second in the order when the Reds face a right-handed starting pitcher.

“He’s an exciting player,” Reds catcher Luke Maile said. “He has high energy. He has the ability to steal bases, run bases hard and put pressure on the defense. He plays great defense. He’s a guy who does the little things that this team is doing really well right now.”

Friedl’s instincts are his biggest strength. During Tuesday’s 12-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs, he made a perfect read on a line drive to center field and made an acrobatic leaping catch at the warning track. He laid a perfect bunt down the third base line and was a split-second away from beating the throw to first. He also crushed his second home run of the season. For the third-straight game, Friedl had a successful bunt as well as an extra-base hit.

“He’s kind of a diverse-type of hitter,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He has sneaky power. He bunts. He handles the strike zone well. Having him at the top of the order is kind of exactly what you’re looking for.”

Friedl was the biggest bright spot from the final two months of the 2022 season. He hit .267 with an .888 OPS and became a regular leadoff hitter. Before that stretch, Friedl was used to the routine of playing a few weeks in Triple-A and then coming off the bench for a week or two in the big leagues.

Friedl was stuck in that cycle, and he projected to be a fourth-or-fifth outfielder at best.

“He’s a guy that maybe had to show you more than once how good of a player he is,” Bell said. “He just continues to do that and impress. Mostly, it’s just his attitude. Just an incredible guy to have on a team. Not only as a player, but so supportive of his teammates and has fun.”

During one of his Triple-A stints last year, Friedl switched to a taller batting stance and started using a bigger leg kick. He started timing up pitches better and developed more power. The adjustments worked late last season, but Friedl still entered spring training in 2023 competing for a spot on the 26-man roster.

Friedl was locked in a position battle with about a half-dozen candidates to be the Reds’ center fielder. With a consistent approach at the plate, consistent line drives, great defense and the constant threat of a bunt, Friedl won the job.

“It means a lot, especially after the first half of last year didn’t go how I wanted it to go,” Friedl said. “To be able to come back up in the second half and make an impact in whatever way I could, that’s always been my thing. To go into spring training and keep that going to make the Opening Day roster for the first time, it’s been awesome.”

He left Tuesday’s game as a precaution due to a minor shoulder injury, but he has been one of the most impressive Reds this season. Entering Tuesday, Friedl was 6-for-17 at the plate with three extra-base hits. The Reds view him as their best option to set the table for the middle of the lineup. His intensity on the field has his teammates calling him a “man of steel,” a reference to a superhero movie.

“He’s a spark plug,” Reds right fielder Wil Myers said. “He plays great defense. He has power. I think overall he’s a great player. I didn’t know a ton about him before I got here, but he’s been really good.”