Toward the end of Spring Training, Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona floated the idea of moving rookie Sal Stewart up to the cleanup spot in the lineup and shifting Eugenio Suárez down to fifth in the order. The Reds signed Suárez to be the team’s cleanup hitter, but Francona recognized a few factors in Arizona that led to the shakeup making sense.
Stewart learned he was getting this promotion in the lineup simply by looking at the Opening Day lineup, which gave the 22-year-old some additional confidence. “It feels really good to know that Tito has that faith in me,” he says. “That’s a really big compliment. I know that. I definitely don’t take it lightly. I trust Tito. I really do. He is who he is because he knows what he’s doing.”
In the season’s opening series, the new-look middle of the lineup appeared to be the right move. Stewart had seven hits in 10 at-bats against the Red Sox, and his speed put additional pressure on Boston pitching. Suárez had just two hits on the weekend, but his three-run homer was the biggest one of the series, providing the Reds all of their offense in Sunday’s win.
After the game, Francona explained that the 2025 Reds wouldn’t have won a matchup like the series finale against Boston. “We were kind of frustrated,” he said. “We had some hits, but we didn’t bunch them together. But all of a sudden, they try to sneak a fastball by him and it completely changes a game. That didn’t happen a lot. That’s why we got Geno.”
The middle of the Reds’ lineup looks completely different from last year. Matt McLain, a year further removed from a major shoulder injury, is swinging the bat better and hitting the ball harder than he ever has. Elly De La Cruz is healthy again after dealing with a quad injury last season.
It’s Stewart’s first full year in the big leagues, and he looks the part. “I see how good he is,” says Suárez. “He has that talent. Hitting behind him is going to help him and help me, too. I told him you don’t have to put pressure on yourself. Be you.”
Francona says that having Stewart bat in front of Suárez serves a few purposes. Both De La Cruz and Suárez strike out often, and having Stewart hitting between them separates the strikeouts. Suárez has the ability to be the Reds’ best run producer, and having Stewart on base in front of him will create more RBI opportunities. Stewart runs the bases very well, and his speed can also generate scoring opportunities for Suárez at the plate.
Stewart made some history this past weekend, becoming the first Reds rookie to hit cleanup on Opening Day since Clyde Vollmer in 1947. And he’s the first rookie to be a regular cleanup hitter for Francona since Scott Rolen in 1997.
With the new lineup construction, Suárez gets to focus on driving runners in. He can change the game with one swing of the bat. The numbers show that he’s an elite player in games that his team wins, which highlights the fact that a big swing from Suárez can change a game in a major way.
His presence also adds to the depth of the lineup. You can count on Spencer Steer to hit 20 homers a year and provide a polished approach at the plate, and he’s hitting sixth. Noelvi Marte has All-Star upside and hit second down the stretch last season. He’s now hitting in the bottom-third of the lineup.
Francona’s decision to move Stewart into the cleanup spot is one of the most creative and intriguing decisions in his two years as the Reds manager. The offensive potential the Reds showed to open the season has the team thinking big.
“This series was very good for us,” says Suárez. “We played very good baseball. That’s a good series for us to know how good we are. We played together. We’ve got a really good group to do something special this year.”
Charlie Goldsmith has covered the Reds and Bengals since 2020, and his newsletter on the teams can be found at charlieschalkboard.substack.com.