Chosen by the Reds in the first round of the June 2013 draft, Ervin fought threw the muck and mire of the Reds’ farm system. It wasn’t a leisurely ride to the Major League level. It was more like a rock wall climb in the rain.
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Ervin persevered through rough seasons. He didn’t hit for a high average, 237 at Dayton in 2014, .241 at Daytona and Pensacola in 2015, .239 at Pensacola in 2016. The most home runs he hit in a season was 13 in 2016.
Something clicked at the end of 2017, though. The Reds called him up during the season when Jesse Winker was injured. At the time, Ervin was hitting .256 with seven home runs while leading the International League with 23 stolen bases.
He made the Reds’ opening day roster to start 2018 but was sent to Louisville in late April. He was recalled again for three games in June and again in late July through the end of the season. He hit .252 with seven home runs in 78 games for the Reds.
Ervin entered spring training 2019 with hopes of winning a starting job but was among the last players optioned to Louisville after a strong spring. He went to work in Triple A waiting for a break. He was rewarded with the first of his four recalls with a trip to Monterrey, Mexico and got a start against the St. Louis Cardinals. On June 15 he was called up for good. Ervin played in 94 games, pulling the Reds through injuries to Winker and Nick Senzel.
The 27-year old Ervin led the Reds with seven triples, tied for fourth in the National League. He was an effective pinch hitter, 8-for-27 with two home runs and six RBIs. He was tied with Derek Dietrich for pinch hit home runs and Kyle Farmer for pinch-hit RBIs. Ervin made some key plays in the outfield and played all three positions.
Ervin proved to be a capable fourth outfielder if not a candidate to start at least in a platoon situation because he hit left handed pitchers at a .349 clip.
So imagine him sitting at home in Montgomery, Ala. watching the Reds acquire big-name outfielders Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos and also Travis Jankowski through a minor deal with San Diego and Mark Peyton through the Rule 5 draft. Ervin was already competing with Winker, Senzel, Aristides Aquino and Scott Schebler. Reliever Michael Lorenzen is going to play some outfield, too.
“We have a lot. There are a lot of good players,” Ervin said. “I’m trying to compete and keep my name in the conversation. I love competition. It’s just going to make me better. Professional sports is not a place to be if you don’t like competition. I love it. I come out here and work and try to get better and push everybody to get better.”
Reds manager David Bell has a lot to sort through.
“We created depth in the outfield. ” Bell said. “We have to find a way to get all of them enough time.”
Ervin hit a grand slam in his first spring at bat on last week, which will help keep his name in the conversation.
“It was fun to see,” Bell said. “He had a good spring last year. He also had a good season. That was a big at bat. It was a good sign.”
SUNDAY’S GAME
Reds at Brewers, 3:05 p.m., FS Ohio, 700, 1360
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