Christian Encarnacion-Strand #31

Graduated from College Park High School (Pleasant Hill, Calif.)...Played at Oklahoma State University, where in 2021 he became the first OSU player since 2017 to be recognized by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association as a First Team All-American...Also played at Yavapai Junior College, where as a freshman in 2019 he was named Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-America and First Team NJCAA All-Region...Also in 2019, was a national Gold Glove Award winner.

2024

On March 31 vs. WAS, hit a walk-off home run (off Kyle Finnegan), the second of back-to-back homers with Will Benson…Marked the third walk-off hit (last: Sept. 5, 2023 vs. SEA) and the second walk-off home run (Aug. 18, 2023 vs. TOR) in the first 66 games of his Major League career...His three walk-off RBI through his first 66 career games were most by a Reds batter since RBI became an official stat in 1920...Became the first Reds batter to break a streak of at least 12 hitless at-bats by hitting a walk-off home run since Devin Mesoraco snapped an 0-for-15 hitless streak with a game-ending, solo home run on June 2, 2017 vs. ATL...Four of his first five hits of the season registered an exit velocity of at least 100 mph...Collected two of the four hardest-hit balls of his career in the first week of the season: a 113.3-mph HR on March 31 vs. WAS and a 109.2-mph double on April 3 at PHI...In the win on April 14 at CWS, had a career-high-tying four RBI (also: Sept. 23, 2023 vs. PIT)...From the beginning of the season through May 7, recorded six game-winning RBI, tied with SF's Thairo Estrada, MIN's Max Kepler, TB's Amed Rosario and CLE's José Ramírez for second-most in the majors, trailing only PHI's Alec Bohm (seven)...On May 8, was placed on the 10-day injured list (right ulnar styloid fracture)...On June 17, was transferred to the 60-day IL...Didn't play for the rest of the 2024 season...Following the 2024 regular season, played for the Glendale Desert Dogs in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, where he batted .385 (10-for-26) with two doubles, four walks and seven RBI in eight games.

2023

Despite missing the last three months of the Minor League season was an MiLB Organization All-Star, along with Reds teammates LHP Andrew Abbott, IF Elly De La Cruz and IF Matt McLain, and the International League's All-Star designated hitter...After his 7/17 promotion led the Reds with 32 starts at 1B...Also made 23 starts at DH and four starts at 3B (last, 9/24 vs Pit)…In the seventh, eighth and ninth innings of the 9-4 loss on 9/8 vs StL played RF in his third professional appearance and only Major League appearance in the outfield...In the batting order hit cleanup (9gs), fifth (10gs), sixth (24gs) and seventh (16gs)…In his last 22 appearances of the season beginning 9/1 hit .316 (2 2b, 8hr, 18rbi, 1sb, .365obp, .646slg, 1.011ops), raising his batting average from .245 to a season-ending .270...In his last 12 appearances beginning 9/16, as the Reds battled for a Postseason berth, hit .304 with seven homers and 15 RBIs...Was promoted from Louisville on 7/17, when IF Kevin Newman went on the 10-day injured list, and that night vs SF started at DH in his Major League debut (0-3)…In the fifth inning of the 11-10 loss on 7/18 vs SF pinch hit for Jake Fraley and produced his first Major League hit, a three-run HR off Mauricio Llovera that gave the Reds an 8-7 lead...On 8/18 vs Tor produced his first career walk-off hit, a solo HR off Jordan Hicks...became the first Reds batter to homer in a 1-0 win since José Iglesias did it on 5/1/2019 at NYM off Edwin Díaz...In the 7-6 win on 9/5 vs Sea produced the second of his two walk-off hits, an RBI-single off Andrés Muñoz...Was MiLB's International League Player of the Week for 6/5-6/11...Missed the first three weeks of the Minor League season while on Louisville's injured list with a herniated disc...made his debut on 4/23 and in 67 appearances for the Bats hit .331 to earn his 7/17 promotion (21 2b, 2 3b, 20hr, 62rbi, 2sb, .405obp, .637slg, 1.042ops)...During his stint with Louisville (4/23-7/15), led or tied for the International League lead in HR (20), hits (92), RBI (62), runs (65) and total bases (177)…When promoted on 7/17, led all International League batters in total bases (177), fourth-most among all Minor Leaguers, while ranking among the IL leaders in runs scored (2nd), extra-base hits (43, 2nd), slugging percentage (4th), OPS (4th), HR (T5th), RBI (6th), batting average (7th) and hits (92, T7th)…For the Bats produced a 15-game hitting streak (5/10-5/26) and a 20-game on-base streak (5/10-6/1)…His three home runs on 5/4 at Omaha tied the single-game club record...Entered the season rated by Baseball America the fifth-best prospect in the organization.

2022

Was the Midwest League's Most Valuable Player, a Midwest League All-Star and a Baseball America High Class A All-Star... Was the Reds' Minor League Player of the Month for September, the Midwest League's Player of the Month for April & June and the Southern League's Player of the Week for 9/12-9/18... In 122 appearancess at Class A Cedar Rapids and Class AA Wichita & Chattanooga produced 32 HR, 114 RBI and a .955 OPS... Ranked among all Minor League batters in home runs (T6th), RBI (T2nd), total bases (284, 4th) and extra-base hits (68, T8th)… Hit for the cycle on 7/17 for Wichita vs Arkansas... On 8/2 was traded from the Twins to the Reds for RHP Tyler Mahle.