For months now, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays has been slotted in the cleanup spot in the lineup. While his .775 OPS mark on the year doesn’t seem too bad, his hot stretch from earlier in the season is doing the heavy lifting.
With Austin Hays Struggling, It’s Time to Move Him Out of the Reds’ Cleanup Spot
Hays’ Early Season Success
Hays lit it up in his very first impression in Cincinnati, posting a 209 wRC+ in March/April. With a .365/.431/.712 slash line, it seemed like Nick Krall’s signing of Hays to a one-year, $5 million contract came as an absolute steal.
In May, his numbers came back down to Earth, as he slashed .254/.278/.433 for a .711 OPS and 86 wRC+ in 18 games.
Just as it seemed like the hot stretch had officially ended, he jumped to a four-game stretch in June where he slugged at a .692 mark. Unfortunately, that would be all she wrote for June, as after these four games, he hit the injured list with a bruised left foot.
Since returning from the IL, his performance has plummeted.
Hays’ Struggles
Hays’ July was subpar, as in 25 games, he slashed .247/.336/.366 for a .702 OPS and 96 wRC+. About league average production for the month seemed okay, but he has truly bottomed out in August. While it is a small sample size of six games this month, it has looked brutal.
His .095/.136/.143 slash line adds up to a .279 OPS and -32 wRC+. Despite this, he has continued to slot in as the cleanup hitter day in and day out. With an offense that needs all the help in the world, slotting him in the most important spot in the lineup doesn’t feel like the best decision.
As for the earlier claim that his early-season heroics are doing the heavy lifting of his season numbers, here are his numbers after May 1st:
202 plate appearances
.240/.297/.399
.696 OPS
87 wRC+
These numbers certainly don’t call for an everyday cleanup role, and the next group of numbers makes the case even stronger.
In that span (since May 1st), here are Hays’ numbers against right-handed pitching.
147 plate appearances
.203/.259/.301
.560 OPS
50 wRC+
Hays’ Strength
With all the negativity surrounding his performance this year, there is one area where Hays has absolutely dominated.
Against left-handed pitching this season (68 PA), Hays has slashed .344/.412/.639 for a 1.051 OPS and 185 wRC+.
Cincinnati’s Lineup Construction
Unfortunately for the Reds, they don’t have much of an answer if they move Hays off of the cleanup spot. While it is true that his performance this year as a whole so far is not worthy of the cleanup spot, there also aren’t many other choices on the team.
He is clearly good enough to hit cleanup against left-handed pitching, but it is against right-handers where he is essentially unplayable.
Austin Hays is hitting .228/.304/.374 with a 86 wRC+ returning from the IL on June 27.
He’s hitting .191/.277/.270 with a 52 wRC+ against RHP in that span.
He simply should not be in the cleanup spot against righties.
— Matt Wilkes (@_MattWilkes) August 7, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Some inter-organizational options may be in play with prospects like Sal Stewart and Cam Collier. Stewart is 21 and currently lighting it up in Triple-A. His positions are third base and second base, which are currently being clogged by Ke’Bryan Hayes and Matt McLain, but his bat is certainly deserving of some sort of a role in Cincinnati right now.
A September call-up could be possible for their top prospect, which is less likely for the 20-year-old Cam Collier. Collier is currently still in Double-A with an ETA of 2026. He was Cincinnati’s first-round pick in 2022 and has been steadily producing and moving up the ranks of the minor leagues.
Collier is most definitely not getting the call in 2025, but Stewart can easily help out the team with his offense.
The problem for this team is less of Hays not deserving of a clean-up spot, and more of the organization lacking enough production, so Hays stands as the only option there.
Main Photo Credit: © Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The post Reds Outfielder’s Offensive Struggles Call for a Lineup Change appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.