During the winter, Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona was discussing the team’s roster with President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall and General Manager Brad Meador, both of whom raved about utility player Santiago Espinal. “You’re going to want to find ways to get him in the lineup,” they told Francona. One-third into the 2025 season, the manager now says, “That was a very good way to explain it.”
Francona’s first year in the Cincinnati dugout been full of subtle changes as he puts his stamp on this team. The base-running strategy, points of emphasis for hitters, and willingness to have starting pitchers face the order for a third time are all some smaller changes in how Francona manages the Reds.
The most obvious change is the way Espinal’s role has significantly increased. He’s not just playing more than he did in 2024—he’s batting second in the lineup. “He’s probably our best situational hitter,” says Francona. “Whether it’s pushing a bunt or hitting the ball through the hole, he sees the game. He plays the game.”
Espinal’s role represents a drastic difference in Francona’s approach with this year’s team. In 2024 under David Bell, Espinal was a backup utility guy and a role player. Even though he hit pretty well when he made spot starts, he didn’t get a ton of chances. Noelvi Marte, Jeimer Candelario, and Jonathan India were ahead of him on the depth chart all season.
Espinal never hit in any of the top-four slots in the lineup last year, instead spending most of the season batting eighth or ninth when he was in the lineup. He was healthy all season but made just 94 starts for a Reds team that didn’t get much production at third base, designated hitter, or in the corner outfield spots all season. He ranked fifth on the team in batting average (.246) and ninth with OPS (.650, which is 24 percent below league average).
In 2025, Espinal’s batting average is up to .263, but his OPS (on-base-plus-slugging-percentage) is down to .635. Even though he’s not doing a ton of damage, he’s been in the prime No. 2 spot in the lineup for most of the month of May.
Espinal received his first off day in nearly a month on Monday in Kansas City after hitting second in each of the Reds’ previous 12 games. Cincinnati won the game 7-4, and Espinal entered as a pinch-hitter, stayed in to play third base, and went 2-for-2 with an RBI. So much for a day off.
Looking around the league, the No. 2 spot in the lineup is often where teams put their best or second-best hitter. Bobby Witt Jr., Rafael Devers, Mookie Betts, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Austin Riley, Kyle Tucker, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Adley Rutschman, James Wood, Trea Turner, and Willy Adames have all hit second for most of this season.
The Reds started this season with Matt McLain hitting second, but he’s moved down to the bottom of the order during a slow start to his season. Francona now has Espinal hitting second whether the Reds are facing a right-handed pitcher or a left-handed pitcher. It’s an uncommon move to put a hitter who doesn’t have a lot of punch in the No. 2 spot in the order, but Francona prioritizes his value as a situational hitter.
Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson described Espinal’s impact by calling him “a magician with the bat.” “He’s able to do it all,” Stephenson added. “He’s a guy that’s going to put the ball in play, especially when he has guys on in front of him. Like a golfer, he can hit every shot.”
Espinal has had some nice moments as a situational hitter, including a key bunt as well as a key fake bunt that have sparked rallies over the last week. “Look across the league, and the teams that are winning usually have a really good guy at No. 2,” Francona says. “The Dodgers have had Kiké Hernandez. There’s usually a guy like that on good teams.”
Espinal is a dependable No. 2 hitter against left-handed pitching, posting a .308 batting average as well as a .822 OPS in those matchups. He hasn’t contributed at a high enough clip this season against right-handed pitching, though, with a .240 average and a .536 OPS.
Entering this week’s series vs. the Royals, Espinal doesn’t have an extra-base hit against right-handed pitching all season. He isn’t getting on base at a reliable clip against those matchups (.296 on-base percentage). Among all big league hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this season, his OPS vs. right-handed pitching this season is the 13th-worst in MLB.
There’s plenty of value that Espinal brings with his versatility, ability to put the ball in play, and contributions vs. left-handed pitching. But Francona is putting a ton of stock into his ability as a situational hitter as he makes the lineup vs. right-handed pitching.
Francona values him more than any other manager Espinal has played for, and Espinal’s role highlights a different philosophy that Francona is trying to establish. So far through the first third of the season, the results haven’t been enough yet.
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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