“Coming up, I was always defensive minded and the bat was always there,” Friedl said. “It was a defensive emphasis. For me, it’s continuing to work on what I need to work on. There’s always something you need to get better at.”
In 2025, Friedl ranked 22nd out of 28 center fielders who played at least 500 innings in center field in Fielding Run Value. He ranked 26th in Outs Above Average. Out of 93 qualifying outfielders (across every outfield position), Friedl ranked 77th in a metric that captures an outfielder’s jump and first step. While his sprint speed ranked in the 74th percentile in 2023, it ranked in the 32nd percentile in 2025.
“I have a lot of room to grow,” Friedl said. “I felt slow. My first step felt slow. I felt a little behind. There were a lot of balls that I could have gotten to if I had a better first step. Defense is a big point of emphasis for me this offseason with my pre-pitch routine and my anticipation to help with my first step, initial jump and reaction time.”
The Reds believe that the best way to help Friedl give that extra gear in the field is getting him off of his feet a bit more. Similar to Elly De La Cruz, Friedl may have played a bit too much in 2025 as Friedl made 148 starts in center field
There were times where the Reds simply didn’t have a backup center fielder on the roster, which led to long stretches without a day off for Friedl.
“There was a point in August when (Will) Benson was in Triple-A where (Friedl) was kind of beat up,” manager Terry Francona said. “He was a hard guy to give a day off to at the time. It would have been good for him.”
The Reds’ center field depth looks much better this season.
The Reds traded for Dane Myers, one of the better defensive playmakers in the league, in December. Myers has speed, range and the ability to hit left-handed pitching.
“(My edge) comes from being close to being out of baseball at one point,” Myers said. “It’s fun to me to play the game the right way and play hard.”
Myers was drafted as a pitcher and became a full-time position player in 2021. Between 2023 and 2025, he was a solid role player in the Miami Marlins’ outfield.
Will Benson opened last year in Triple-A, and he’s in a much better position entering 2026. He can play all three outfield positions. When he’s hot, he has shown the ability to be a real sparkplug for the offense. He’s working to be more consistent overall.
“The first thing is you need to make sure your soul is intact every single day,” Benson said. “That’s very important when we’re talking about coming into a high-stimulus environment like we are. You make sure your spirit, chest and heart are in the right place and show up consistently every day. When it’s game time, you’re in a position to go out and give it your best. For me, that leads to consistency.”
While the Reds have more depth, Friedl is the unquestioned starter. He’s the engine in the Reds’ lineup and fills his offensive role in the exact way the Reds are looking for in the leadoff spot.
“I want to continue to be the same guy,” Friedl said. “There’s not much to change. Not much difference in my approach. I’m fine-tuning a few things — driving the ball to left-center after I hit pop flies to left last year. I’m sticking to the same approach and the same mindset.”
About the Author