Gennett is enjoying career year with Reds
When Scooter Gennett was claimed off waivers by Cincinnati on March 28, it’s safe to say neither the Milwaukee Brewers nor the Reds expected him to perform as one of the best offensive second basemen in the major leagues.
The 27-year-old entered Thursday’s season finale against his former team at Miller Park hitting .297 with 27 home runs and 95 runs batted in for the rebuilding Reds, numbers that rank him alongside the likes of American League MVP candidate Jose Altuve, Brian Dozier, Jonathan Schoop, Robinson Cano and Daniel Murphy.
Gennett had shown he was capable with the bat during his four-year tenure with Milwaukee; in 456 games he batted .279 with 35 homers and 160 RBI. But the ascension of Jonathan Villar combined with Gennett’s lack of versatility and $2.53 million salary convinced the Brewers they could do without their 2009 16thround draft pick.
So the Brewers went with Villar, who came nowhere close to duplicating his 2016 season. The Reds, meanwhile, were rewarded in a big way by taking a chance on the Ohio-born Gennett.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve surprised myself or feel like I’ve played in a way that I never thought I would,” said Gennett, who’s even serving as Cincinnati’s cleanup hitter behind the all-world Joey Votto. “There’s still some things there that can get better. I expect to do better.
“I think that window of better is smaller now than in the past, but I think it just boils down to having the opportunity to play every day and growing and maturing in the game.”
Gennett opened the season as a utility man and didn’t become Cincinnati’s primary second baseman until July 19, making his accomplishments that much more remarkable.
A little less than six weeks earlier, he’d etched his name in the majorleague record book by going 5 for 5 with four homers and 10 RBI in a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
One of his homers in that game was a grand slam, and he’s gone on to hit a franchise-record four to date. Lou Gehrig is the only other major-leaguer ever to register a four-homer game and hit four grand slams in the same season.
“They are cool (accomplishments),” said Gennett, who got himself onto the radar screen with the Brewers back in 2013 when he hit for the cycle as a minor-leaguer in a major-league game in spring training.
“To be able to do those things, it’s insane. I’m extremely blessed and I’ve worked hard to get myself to this point.”
Villar never recovered from an early-season slump and has been a nonfactor down the stretch. Eric Sogard played well in Villar’s stead before an injury knocked him off track, and the Brewers eventually traded for veteran Neil Walker to serve as their primary starter.
With nearly a season’s worth of time to reflect, Gennett was asked if he harbored any animosity or ill will toward the Brewers for cutting him loose.
“I’m very thankful that I had the opportunity to get drafted by them and make it to the big leagues with them,” he said. “They ultimately made that decision to call me up; I worked hard and played hard to get to that point.
“But they called me up and gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues for four years, so I’m very thankful and very fortunate for that.”
But Gennett didn’t deny deriving a sense of satisfaction from putting up the numbers he has.
“Everybody’s going to have something that pushes them and keeps them going,” said Gennett.