Schebler not taking starting job in right field for granted

Scott Schebler plans to enter spring training without expecting the thing most teammates, front-office types and fans expect to be a sure thing: that he will be the Cincinnati Reds’ everyday right fielder.

“I’m not going in with any expectations of having a job,” he said at Saturday’s Reds Caravan stop at the Air Force Museum. “I want to have the job. I’m just saying I’m not going in there thinking I have something won already that I haven’t earned.”

The Reds’ hope is that Schebler’s 82 big-league games were enough to prove he is good enough to flourish in the position Jay Bruce owned for eight-plus years.

“I think you’re looking at your starting right fielder,” said assistant general manager Nick Krall. “We’ve got high hopes for him that he can be a solid player going forward.”

The Reds might enter this season as settled in the outfield as they have been in a long time. Left field was somebody new every year until now because of Adam Duvall. Billy Hamilton is anchored in center after a strong finish in 2016. Now right field is the question that most think Schebler is the answer for.

Schebler opened 2016 platooning in left with Duvall. That situation didn’t last long. Duvall became an All-Star with 33 homers and 103 RBIs. Schebler went to AAA Louisville and found his swing. When Bruce was traded to the New York Mets, Schebler came back. In those 44 games, he hit .329 with seven homers and 28 RBIs.

Schebler came to the Reds from the Los Angeles Dodgers before last season in the three-way deal that also brought Jose Peraza to the Reds and sent Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox. Schebler said the trade was the best thing for him, but the change in organizations took time to get used to. The key moment was the day he came back to Cincinnati.

Bruce was traded the day before, which was not a popular move in the clubhouse. Schebler, who had just been named International League player of the month, changed the somber mood with a three-run walk-off homer to beat the St. Louis Cardinals.

“Obviously that was a huge moment for me, but it was just contributing to the team and feeling a part of the team,” he said. “It set me on a path that I played out the rest of the year.”

The expectation this year is that Duvall and Schebler and will bring power to the offense and be strong on defense again. That leaves Hamilton to patrol center field and beyond with his speed. But the key to a Reds offense that should not have trouble scoring runs is what Hamilton can do batting lead-off for an entire season.

Last year Hamilton had career highs in batting average (.260), on-base percentage (.321) and stolen bases (58) in 119 games. Hamilton’s hitting improved greatly in the second half of the season after working with Joey Votto.

“If he can hit .260 and be willing to take a walk — he showed much more patience the last two months of the year, much more selective at the plate — he’s the most impactful player I’ve seen in a Reds’ uniform in the years I’ve been here, because he can take a game over by himself,” said Reds hall of fame radio voice Marty Brennaman, who is about to start his 44th season. “And the only way you can do that is to get on base.”

So guys like Schebler and Duvall can knock him in.

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