This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Hands down, Reds outfielder Will Benson is finding his big league fortunes are improving.
No really, hands down. It was an adjustment of lowering his hands that has helped Benson get improved swings and harder contact. In four games from May 15-18, he hit five home runs and was the National League Player of the Week. Although he's cooled somewhat since, the 26-year-old has continued to hit the ball hard and to all fields.
The mechanical change came about after a Spring Training conversation with a Reds great who had a similar approach -- Eric Davis.
"Just talking with E.D. about how to be more relaxed, more fluid. That’s how it came about," said Benson, who was recalled from Triple-A Louisville for the second time this season on May 9.
Davis, a Reds Hall of Famer and former center fielder, is a special assistant to team president Nick Krall and a roving Minor League instructor. During spring, he also works with players -- namely outfielders -- at big league camp.
Over his 17-year career, Davis slugged 282 home runs -- including a career best 37 homers in 1987 for Cincinnati. Unlike the left-handed Benson, Davis batted right-handed. But his lowered hand position and ability to get to the ball quickly made Davis one of the game's more feared hitters in the late 1980's.
Benson listened to Davis and similarly lowered his hands for some early spring games.
"It felt weird doing it on the back field," Benson said. "I remember I did it against Chicago for the first time in a game [on March 2]. I hit a homer at Chicago and then I hit another home run against Colorado the next game [March 4]. So I knew I had something."
Benson was an early camp cut and sent to Triple-A Louisville on March 15 but kept working and building on the new approach as camp continued.
"What ultimately matters is when you’re getting ready to hit, what position are you in? And he’s getting in a really good position," manager Terry Francona said.
In 2024, Benson's numbers dipped from his breakout 2023. He batted .187 with a .650 OPS, 14 homers and 43 RBIs in 128 games. There were also an alarming 154 strikeouts in 388 plate appearances -- just under 40 percent of the time.
“I knew right after the season that I needed to go back to the drawing board," Benson said. "I took my time off and then came back very deliberate and focused. It was, ‘How can I get better and how can I be more consistent putting the bat on the ball?’”
In his small sample size of plate appearances, Benson is ripping the ball with the best of them right now. During Saturday's win over the Cubs, Benson had no hits but hit four balls with an exit velocity of more than 100 mph -- including a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and an eighth-inning line out. Both balls were smoked to deep center field. There was a 109.8 mph drive crushed to the center field warning track for a long out in Sunday's loss.
"The hope is when that happens, you don’t try to do more because that was really good," Francona said. "When you hit the ball to the opposite way with authority, you’re doing some things really well.”
Although not yet qualified to be among league leaders, Benson is ranked sixth in hard-hit percentage. He's second in barrel rate and fifth in average exit velocity, based on a minimum of 25 batted balls.
Overall, in 16 games, Benson is batting .260 with a .948 OPS and 14 RBIs.
“I’m grateful," Benson said. "It’s just more information back to me that what I am doing is preparing me and moving me in the right direction of what I ultimately want to be as a player. I’m thankful I’m able to be consistent. That’s my biggest thing -- being consistent with my routine, with the quality of at-bats I’m having.”
Senior Reporter Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05.