Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s latest surge in Baltimore is arriving at a painful moment for the Reds.
Cincinnati’s season has unraveled fast, and the offense has been a major reason why. The bullpen has been a mess, the rotation has not carried its share, and injuries have played their part.
But the bigger frustration has been a lineup that was supposed to get better and instead has taken a step back. The Reds ranked 14th with 716 runs in 2025; this year, they sit 26th with 427 runs.
That backdrop makes Encarnacion-Strand’s quick rise with the Orioles sting a little more. Cincinnati moved on from the once-promising slugger in the offseason, sending him to Baltimore for cash considerations.
Since then, he has wasted no time making noise. He was called up by Baltimore on July 18, and in the brief time since, he has hit three home runs while batting .375/.400/.792.
Encarnacion-Strand’s first Orioles homer came over the Green Monster on July 21, a reminder of the raw power that once made him such an intriguing bat. He has also appeared to take over at third base from Coby Mayo, though that comparison comes with a catch: Mayo is described here as Baltimore’s own version of Encarnacion-Strand - a powerful hitter who has not consistently produced.
For Encarnacion-Strand, the explanation is straightforward. He says health has changed everything.
“Now that I’m healthy, I feel like it’s just allowed me to be the athlete I can be,” Encarnacion-Strand told Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun.
It’s a clean answer, and maybe a tempting one for Reds fans watching from afar. But the sample is tiny: six games and 26 plate appearances. Encarnacion-Strand has had hot stretches before, including a 63-game run as a rookie in 2023 when he hit .270/.328/.477 with 13 homers.
The deeper numbers suggest the same old profile is still there. He is not walking much, with a 3.8% BB-rate that sits just below his 4.2% career average.
And while the power is real, so is the chase. His 60.4% chase rate is enormous, especially compared with 46.4% last year and 40.5% in 2024.
That matters because the Reds’ offensive problem has not been a lack of home run power. Cincinnati is sixth in MLB with 135 homers and also sixth in isolated slugging at .168.
The issue is putting together enough contact to actually score consistently. The Reds’ .229 team batting average is tied with the Seattle Mariners for the worst mark in baseball.
Encarnacion-Strand’s contact profile fits that problem in a way the Reds know all too well. He has a 69% o-contact rate, up from 59.5% last year, which means he is making contact out of the zone far too often. That kind of approach can produce loud swings and occasional damage, but it rarely sustains itself over time.
So the Orioles may be getting a few blasts right now, but the broader picture still looks familiar. Encarnacion-Strand can punish mistakes. Everything else has a way of catching up.
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