How The Cincinnati Reds Should Team Build Around Great American Ballpark

Trey Daubert / MLB / June 4, 2025

How The Cincinnati Reds Should Team Build Around Great American Ballpark

Team building. Who are we, and what type of team are we truly trying to build? Most executives running pro sports teams don’t have a clue about that concept, and it’s why they continue to fail over and over again. When it comes to baseball, you have to construct your club based on your home ballpark. You already know where we’re going with this headline, so I’m going to get to the point now. Here’s exactly how the Cincinnati Reds need to team build around Great American Ballpark.

Great American Ballpark is revered as one of the most hitter-friendly stadiums in all of MLB. Use whatever list you want. They’re constantly top of the hitter-friendly lists and even often rival Coors Field. Yes, it’s to that degree. By the way, if you want to see the team building post I did for the Rockies, here you go.

At the very basic premise, the Reds really need to lean into that approach. Young power heavy driven hitters with pitchers who keep the ball on the ground. Need guys who can field on the infield and lift fly balls when at the dish. There’s really no reason to make it more complicated than that.

Young, power-heavy hitters

Infielders who can field and lift fly balls

Pitchers who keep the ball on the ground

Past iterations of the Reds have had some of those pieces in the past. Prime Joey Votto is a perfect example. Someone who can drive the ball while also being a capable fielder when his staff keeps the ball on the ground. That’s what you’re looking for at all of your infield spots. In the outfield, you can even sacrifice a little bit of defense if you need to. Sure, Adam Dunn wasn’t perfect, and maybe a guy like that goes at DH in the modern game. Still, you need to stack offense if you’re playing in this ballpark. It means everything.

Your entire rotation here doesn’t need to look like Hunter Greene. You can really mix and match here. A funky guy like Ranger Suarez is perfect for a Reds team build. He’s going to create a lot of weak contact and keep the ball on the ground. Sure, having some strikeout monsters is cool, but this puppy really goes when you have depth players who resemble what Suarez has become for the Phillies.

Again, simple. We don’t need to overthink the room here. I need Cal Raleigh. I need Jeff Kent. Win the power game. Protect the lead with the ball on the ground. When the Reds fully lean into this team build, they can achieve great things.