As the Cincinnati Reds keep playing must-win September games, they’re counting on players who weren’t in the big leagues a month ago. While many of the team’s veterans have been inconsistent during the second half of the season, infielder Sal Stewart, outfielder Will Benson, and relievers Connor Phillips and Zach Maxwell are providing a spark.
On Monday, as the Reds picked up a win over the St. Louis Cardinals that brought them within two games of the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card race, Stewart got the Reds back in the game with a homer, Benson hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly, and Phillips picked up the win. After the game, manager Terry Francona was asked about the impact of two rookies in Stewart and Phillips and said, “We need some of these young kids. That’s what we’ve been dying for.”
The Reds’ initial starting lineup on Monday showed how unpredictable a big league season can be. Before first baseman Spencer Steer was scratched with neck spasms, the bottom three hitters in the Reds’ lineup were some of the team’s most established players in Elly De La Cruz, Steer, and Matt McLain. Francona moved De La Cruz to the No. 7 spot in the lineup to try to help take some of the pressure off the Reds shortstop, who hasn’t had a good second half of the season.
Stewart was in Monday’s lineup all along, but he moved from third base to first base when Steer was scratched. Stewart played just two minor league games at first base, but the Reds have consistently been counting on him at that spot over the last two weeks. He’s been making the plays and having a significant impact at the plate with four home runs in 11 games.
The 21-year-old has success with an old school approach, which is helping him hit the ground running in the big leagues. “When you’re playing the game and you see the game, the scoreboard dictates what you need to do,” he said. “The power will come.” Stewart hit fifth in the lineup on Monday, drove in two runs, scored three times, and continued to impress.
With hitters like Steer, De La Cruz, McLain, and Gavin Lux struggling to find a rhythm in September, Stewart has helped lift up the lineup. “He’s going to be OK,” said Francona. “Sometimes you’ve got a good kid and he has some energy and it’s good for everybody.”
Benson has also provided a significant boost. He’d been a role player on the big league team earlier in the summer, but the Reds optioned him to Triple-A in early August. He returned a few weeks later when the team cut ties with Jake Fraley, but Benson went nearly six weeks between big league starts during a stretch ranging from August 1 to September 9.
Benson started on September 9 when Noelvi Marte needed a day off, and he’s made a significant impact and shown off his power in just about every game since. He has six RBI in 12 plate appearances, including three home runs, during that stretch.
The Reds have been looking for answers in the bullpen, which has played a big part in many of their pivotal September losses. Graham Ashcraft, the seventh inning reliever for most of the season, has struggled. Scott Barlow has also taken a step back. Maxwell, Phillips, and Chase Burns have ascended to prominent roles in the bullpen, and Phillips has represented one of the best success stories of the entire season.
On Monday, he pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Phillips, still just 24, hasn’t allowed a run in any of his last five appearances. “He’s confident,” Francona said. “He should be. He’s growing into responsibility.”
Back in February 2023, Phillips looked like the top pitching prospect in the entire organization. He had a solid season, debuted in the big leagues that September, and made some impressive starts in pivotal games for a Reds team that was chasing a playoff spot. But in his final start of the year, he unraveled, didn’t throw a strike, and took the loss in the game that eliminated the Reds.
His command issues persisted into 2024 and were so bad that he wound up being reassigned from Triple-A to Rookie Ball. The front office decided that Phillips needed a total reset, and 2024 went on to be a lost season.
Phillips has spent most of this season in Triple-A before receiving another shot with the Reds in the middle of August. He’s proven to be a difference-making reliever, and high-leverage innings recently from Phillips have been critical pieces of the puzzle in Reds wins. “I told myself that I can do it,” he said. “I’ve shown that to myself. That was the worst baseball I’ve ever experienced (in 2024). Now I’m at the top of what I’ve done in this game.”
The Reds will need to go on their best run of the season over the next two weeks to snatch a playoff spot. Their most proven players—guys like De La Cruz, Steer, Lux, and the veteran relievers—will have to perform better. But the main reason Cincinnati still has a shot to make the postseason is what they’re getting from players who just a month ago were fighting to even get to Cincinnati.
Charlie Goldsmith has covered the Reds and Bengals since 2020, and his newsletter on the teams can be found at charlieschalkboard.substack.com. He’s @CharlieG__ on X.
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