Reds' Hitters Fantasy Baseball Preview | Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Matt McLain, Tyler Stephenson, TJ Friedl and More

Let's wrap up our fantasy baseball team preview on the Cincinnati Reds by looking at the team's hitters. We checked out pitchers in another story.

We've covered the Red Sox (hitters and pitchers), Mets (hitters and pitchers), Twins (hitters and pitchers), Giants (hitters and pitchers), Athletics (hitters and pitchers), Pirates (hitters and pitchers), Mariners (hitters and pitchers), Rockies (hitters and pitchers), Rays (hitters and pitchers), Braves (hitters and pitchers) and White Sox (hitters and pitchers) already.

Check out Fantasy Baseball Average Draft Position data for 2025 and get ready for your fantasy drafts by utilizing the FantasySP Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Simulator. Also be sure to check out the FantasySP 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit!

Top Fantasy Hitters

Elly De La Cruz is the first Cincinnati player on the FantasySP ADP list, going at pick 20.94 on average.

Spencer Steer is at pick 96.94, while Matt McLain is at pick 128.89. Tyler Stephenson is an option late in standard drafts. 

De La Cruz had a big season in 2024.

He played in 160 games, finishing with a .259 average and .330 on-base percentage. De La Cruz had 25 home runs, 76 RBIs, 67 stolen bases and 105 runs scored. He also struck out a league-high 218 times.

De La Cruz is a fun baseball player and electric when he's at the plate or in the field. I think his ADP is pretty fair as is, but would most prefer to get him closer to pick 30 because the lower average and big strikeout numbers are going to likely hold him back from being a top-20 fantasy player overall.

He's an everyday fantasy shortstop, and one you don't have to back up with another draft pick, unless that player can play multiple positions.

Steer was a very well-kept fantasy secret in 2024. He should be eligible to play left field (outfield) and first base at least, along with second base maybe.

In 158 games played, he had a .225 average and .319 OBP. His average was 46 points lower than 2023, while his OBP was 37 points lower. He added 20 home runs, 92 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and 74 runs scored.

There's bounceback potential with Steer if he can up his average and OBP, and that would likely lead to career highs in most other stats too. Because he can start at multiple spots, he's an even better fantasy option. I'd love to add Steer around his ADP, and think he'll be a daily fantasy starter, with a safe floor and high ceiling.

McLain is one of my favorite fantasy sleepers for 2025.

He missed all of 2024 with an injury, but was fantastic in an 89-game sample in 2023. McLain had a .290 average, .357 OBP, 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and 65 runs scored. Averaged over a full season, McLain would have elite fantasy numbers.

He's projected to hit third and play second base. I love taking a gamble on him around his ADP, and wouldn't even mind if his ADP was a round or more earlier. The durability concerns are real, but his upside is too high to ignore.

Stephenson put together some solid numbers in 2024 across 138 games.

He had a .258 average and .338 OBP. Stephenson also went for 19 home runs, 66 RBIs, one stolen base and 69 runs scored.

He plays enough and delivers respectable numbers to consider him in standard leagues. I'd still want another fantasy catcher if I took Stephenson, but the Reds' catcher might be a daily fantasy starter, when he's in the actual MLB lineup of course.

Other Starting Options

According to FanGraphs, we've talked about the team's No. 2,3 4 and 6 hitters so far.

TJ Friedl is the projected leadoff hitter. Austin Hays is the only other projected everyday starter. Jake Fraley, Jeimer Candelario and Gavin Lux are in projected platoons with Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Santiago Espinal and Stuart Fairchild. Jose Trevino is the projected backup catcher.

Friedl has big-time durability concerns and is coming off an 85-game season. He had a .226 average, .310 OBP, 13 home runs, 55 RBIs, nine stolen bases and 35 runs scored when he was on the field.

There's enough fantasy production there and he has a decent fantasy outlook if he does bat leadoff. The durability concerns keep him out of standard leagues, but he'll likely work his way into those leagues with similar numbers in 2025. I'd only roster him in deeper leagues to kick off the season.

Hays appeared in just 85 games a season ago, playing for the Orioles and Phillies. He had a .255 average and .303 OBP, along with five home runs, 20 RBIs, two stolen bases and 26 runs scored.

If he's in the lineup everyday, there's a chance he could be a good fantasy asset, even if he ends up batting ninth most days. Hays can drive in a few runs himself, and if he gets on base enough, he could score plenty of runs. He's just a deep-league option to begin the season though.

It's probably going to be tough for Encarnacion-Strand, Espinal and Fairchild to be good deep-league options even if they only start against left-handed pitchers. An injury could thrust them into full-time starting roles though, so don't ignore them.

Fraley, Candelario and Lux have better fantasy outlooks if they platoon, but they probably will top out as deep-league keepers. A string of right-handed pitchers might make these guys streamable for stretches in standard leagues.

Trevino is only likely going to be a big fantasy asset if Stephenson is out with an injury.

Top Prospects

Sal Stewart is the team's top hitting prospect, ranking 84th on the MLB's top-100 list. His ETA is 2026.

Stewart has a .277 average and .394 OBP across 205 minor league games so far. He has accumulated 20 home runs, 122 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, 130 runs scored, 138 walks and 139 strikeouts.

Cam Collier and Edwin Arroyo are Nos. 91 and 92, respectively.

Collier has a 2026 ETA. In 239 minor league games, Collier had a .251 average and .358 OBP. He also has 28 home runs, 146 RBIs, seven stolen bases, 119 runs scored, 130 walks and 239 strikeouts.

Arroyo also has a 2026 ETA. In 260 minor league games, he has a .268 average and .344 OBP, along with 29 home runs, 154 RBIs, 60 stolen bases, 183 runs scored, 105 walks and 267 strikeouts.

Cooper Bowman is the only other top-30 prospect from the end of last season who looks to have a good chance of helping out the 2025 MLB team. 

Bowman has a .246 average and .346 OBP across 33 minor league games so far. He also has 35 home runs, 180 RBIs, 141 stolen bases, 222 runs scored, 170 walks and 349 strikeouts to his name. He can play the infield or outfield, and that should help him debut in 2025.

Michael Trautwein, Will Banfield, Tyler Callihan, Noelvi Marte, Rece Hinds and Hector Rodriguez are also in big league camp with the team this spring, and are all age 25 or younger.