PROSPECT: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds
ANALYSIS: Hey Cincinnati, what the (word redacted) are you waiting for? With Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz now up in the Majors, the last piece of the puzzle for their 2023 promotions is Christian Encarnacion-Strand who continues to mash in Triple-A.
Over the last month, Encarnacion-Strand has cranked 11 doubles and nine home runs with a .373/.463/.745 slash line. He's also showing more patience with a 14.9% walk rate while also striking out only 19.8% of the time.
Granted, there isn't a clear opening for Encarnacion-Strand in Cincinnati right now, especially with Joey Votto nearing a return. However, Encarnacion-Strand has nothing left to prove in Triple-A and I'm sure Cincinnati can find regular playing time for him between first base and DH. It would make plenty of sense too given how Cincinnati is only 3.5 games behind Pittsburgh in the National League Central race.
VERDICT: Adding a power bat like Encarnacion-Strand would be a major boost to that lineup. If you've been stashing him, continue to do so. If not, go grab him before it's too late.
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