Spencer Steer has taken another step in Year 2, but not much has changed

Cincinnati Reds left fielder Spencer Steer was trying to come up with a difference between his experience being a rookie in 2023 and being a second-year player in the big leagues this year.

He has the same balanced swing, the same two-strike approach and the same timely power. Steer still doesn’t have a set spot in the Reds’ lineup, and he still prepares to play four different positions in the field.

Then, the lightbulb clicks in Steer’s head. He comes up with something that’s different for him this year.

“I don’t have to carry the speaker on the road anymore,” Steer said. “That’s nice. Besides that, I’m the same guy. Everything other than that is pretty much exactly the same.”

For the Reds’ most consistent and most versatile player, that’s exactly the point.

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On Saturday, in a 9-6 win over the New York Mets, Steer put the Reds ahead in the eighth inning with a three-run homer. Through the first eight games of the season, he ranks third in the big leagues in batting average (.448), third in OPS (1.426) and second in RBI (12).

“He seems like the same guy,” Reds right fielder Jake Fraley said. “A lot of guys get out of whack going into their sophomore year and try to do more or try to reinvent what already works. He does such a good job of not doing that.”

Last season, Steer won the Reds’ team MVP award. He has been even more important so far in 2024.

Reds manager David Bell said that it doesn’t really matter to him where Steer hits in the lineup or where he plays in the field. A lot of players are at their best when they have a set role. Steer has a rare ability to stay consistent even when he’s the moving piece.

Against right-handed pitchers this year, Steer is hitting seventh to give the Reds a big threat behind shortstop Elly De La Cruz in the lineup. Against left-handed pitchers, Steer moves all the way up to second in the order.

Before every game, he gets himself ready to play second base, third base, right field and left field. At one point in spring training, it looked like he’d also be the Reds’ backup shortstop in 2024.

Throughout it all, Steer keeps hitting.

“He’s very much who he is,” Bell said. “With a year under his belt, he was even more confident in who he is. I’m sure he has always been like that. But (it’s different) until you have success. I see that this year. Another level of confidence this year.”

Aside from the speaker, the other difference in Steer’s 2024 season is that he knows where he stands. At this point last year, he was trying to prove that he belonged in the big leagues. He debuted in September of 2022 and had a very rough first month with the Reds. Steer had a spot in last year’s Opening Day lineup, but he also was aware of the wave of prospects coming up behind him.

Steer solidified his long-term role on the Reds with how well he hit in 2023, leading the team in almost every major statistical category. Now, he’s as much a piece of the Reds’ young core as anyone.

“I feel like I belong here, and I feel like I have a track record now,” Steer said. “I can trust my work. I can trust my process because it worked last year. That’s where confidence comes from.”

On Opening Day in 2023, Steer said that he didn’t allow himself to take in the moment. “I had tunnel vision,” he said. Steer was still clawing for a job in the big leagues, and all that he thought about was proving that he could stick in the big leagues.

One year later, Steer said that he soaked in the atmosphere on Opening Day more. He’s able to balance that with keeping the chip on his shoulder that drove his breakout 2023 season.

“Every year, you still have something to prove,” Steer said. “That’s what I’m trying to do. Prove to myself that that wasn’t a one-year thing.”

Through the first eight games of the season, Steer couldn’t have scripted a better start. He opened the year with two hits and two RBI on Opening Day. He hit an extra-innings grand slam last week against the Philadelphia Phillies, and he had another big game in Saturday’s win over the Mets.

Steer’s home runs look like they have a bit of extra power behind them, but he doesn’t see himself as more of a power hitter than he was last year.

“I don’t think I’m doing anything different,” Steer said. “Right now, I’m hitting balls well and they’re falling. That’s how the game goes. My main focus is just being consistent. Constantly feeling like I’m prepared and putting myself in the best spot to have success every day.”

Steer’s old-school approach at the plate is the foundation for his success. He avoids strikeouts, handles tough breaking pitches and works deep counts. He’s able to adjust his swing and pounce on fastballs that are left over the middle of the plate, and that’s what he did in his home run on Saturday that beat the Mets.

In 2024, he’s combining his approach with experience. Steer knows that his approach works in the big leagues, which helps him deliver more game-changing hits for the Reds.

“He has been doing it for a while now,” Bell said. “He just continues to mature and develop and gain even more confidence in himself. He has always been confident in what he does at the plate and in the field. (That happens when) you have success over and over again.”

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds left fielder Spencer Steer has taken another step in Year 2