Back-to-back-to-back homers highlight 3 breakout players on the Reds

At this point last year, TJ Friedl was in Triple-A, where he was working on a swing adjustment that he hoped could help him prove that he should be a big leaguer. Matt McLain was in Double-A pushing through the first slump of his professional career. Jake Fraley was on a rehab assignment in Triple-A, but there wasn’t a set spot for him in the Reds’ big league lineup when he was back at full strength.

On Saturday, as the Reds beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2, that trio hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to give the Reds the lead. That trio hits second, third and fourth in the Reds’ order now, and they're three of the most important pieces on a team that’s competing for an NL Central title.

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Friedl, McLain and Fraley all have exceeded the Reds’ expectations. After a tough 2022 season, McLain had to prove that he could handle the grind of a full professional season, and he had to make some adjustments to find more consistency as a hitter. Friedl and Fraley had to prove that they belonged in the big leagues.

In 2022, no one would have guessed that Friedl, McLain and Fraley would be hitting where they are in 2023 for an offense as good as the Reds have been. And this season, that trio of players has filled their roles perfectly.

“They’ve really settled in and shown what kinds of players they are,” Reds manager David Bell said. “They’re well rounded. They’ve all worked incredibly hard. They’re all different. But the defense, the baserunning, the base stealing, the offense. They’ve continued to improve.”

Among regular center fielders, Friedl had the fourth-best batting average in MLB entering Saturday’s game. Two-way center fielders are one of the most difficult things to find in baseball. Friedl has proven that he can get on base consistently, set the table for the middle of the order and create chaos on the bases. He also brings some power to the table, and Friedl crushed his seventh homer of the season on Saturday.

At this point last year, Friedl had a long way to go just to make it to the Reds’ active roster. The Reds traded Tyler Naquin and Tommy Pham. Then, Albert Almora Jr. and Aristides Aquino both slumped, which opened up some at-bats for Friedl. He ran with the opportunity.

Friedl made a swing change last year, opening up his batting stance and standing taller at the plate. The swing change unlocked some more power, and Friedl’s pop has helped him become an every day player on the Reds. He showed his power again with his two-strike homer on Saturday.

“I was just trying to cover the inner-half and react to anything outside,” Friedl said. “I try to stay with my approach and hit the ball to left-center. I knew I had to stay on (the changeup). I was looking out there. Then I saw the heater. I was ready.”

In Double-A last year, McLain hit .232 with a .816 OPS and 127 strikeouts in 103 games. The Reds saw him becoming a solid big leaguer, but McLain wasn’t on most top-100 prospect lists. He looked at least a year away from the big leagues, following the normal two-plus year path to the big leagues for college shortstops.

Instead, McLain pushed himself at the end of the 2022 season by playing extra games in the Arizona Fall League. He figured out how to play his best even when he was fatigued. He says he got physically and mentally stronger. He changed his offseason workout program to add more strength and become more durable. He switched to a more open batting stance, keeping his front toe higher off the ground to give himself a chance to turn more quickly against fastballs.

Now, he’s playing like one of the best shortstops in MLB. McLain has the second-best OPS in MLB among regular shortstops, and he’s only 23 years old.

McLain is also proving that he’s a standout power hitter. Between Triple-A and MLB this year, McLain has more home runs than Elly De La Cruz and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, two players who are known for their elite power.

“I don’t think you could ask for much more out of him than what he has been doing,” Friedl said. “He has been one of the most consistent players in the lineup and in the field. Every single day, he works hard. He has been a guy that has picked us up.”

Fraley is one of the best hitters in MLB against right-handed pitching. In those matchups entering Saturday’s game, Fraley has the 19th-best OPS in MLB, ranking ahead of All-Stars J.D. Martinez, Mike Trout and Paul Goldschmidt.

When the Reds traded for Fraley before the 2022 season, the front office saw him as a potential future role player. The Reds liked his ability to draw walks and play solid outfield defense, but Fraley hadn’t shown enough power to get a consistent shot to play in MLB. Between 2019 and 2021 with the Seattle Mariners, Fraley hit .196 with a .656 OPS in his 97 big league games.

Fraley credits his turnaround to his work with a mental skills coach. Fraley paid more attention to the “presence” he was projecting to his teammates and he started playing with more confidence.

Now, Fraley is tied for the team lead with 14 homers.

“Jake is driving in runs every day,” McLain said. “He’s a really good hitter. He knows who he is. He competes every at-bat.”

“Jake is as consistent as they come with his approach and his plate discipline,” Friedl said. “His at-bats he puts together are always really good at-bats.”

The Reds have one of the deepest lineups in baseball. Will Benson has arguably been the Reds’ best hitter for the last two months. He’s still batting ninth because of how much confidence Bell has in the top half of the Reds’ lineup.

In 2023, Friedl, McLain and Fraley have literally been right in the middle of the Reds’ success. The Reds responded to a mini-slump and a six-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak.

“The best thing about this team is that no one feels pressure,” Friedl said. “There’s a long season left. We’ve got a lot of games left. It’s not the way we wanted to start the second half, but not for one second was there any panic or pressure in the clubhouse. No one was stressing. That’s a testament to this team. That’s the only way that you can come back with four straight wins.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Back-to-back-to-back homers highlight Reds' breakout players