Next Red to win batting title? Could be Nick

CHICAGO -- Right fielder Nick Castellanos has a chance to do something a Reds hitter has not accomplished in nearly 50 years. With 23 games remaining in the 2021 regular season entering Tuesday, Castellanos is in position to potentially win the National League batting title.

Castellanos came in batting .321 in 116 games, just ahead of the Dodgers' Trea Turner at .319. Pete Rose was the last Cincinnati player to win a batting title, when he hit .338 in 1973.

“To hitters, rightfully so, I think it’s really important,” Reds manager David Bell said. “I think it’s an important stat. I think it’s something that is probably more important to the actual hitters than maybe it is to the people that evaluate statistics. As a hitter, when you get hits, the daily grind of the game is affected a lot by whether or not you get a hit or get multiple hits. And I think that the ultimate challenge is to win every game. But as a hitter, you are chasing those hits.

“They really go a long way for your mentality and how you feel about your swing and the confidence level and all that. So I do think a batting title or batting average is really important to offensive players. I think there’s great pride taken in that number. I know it’s important, but to Nick, for sure.”

Ranked third in NL hitting is Reds left fielder Jesse Winker, who is batting .307 in 109 games. Winker has been on the 10-day injured list since Aug. 16, but he still qualifies for the batting title with 420 at-bats.

Castellanos and Winker could become the first Reds duo to finish in the top three of NL hitting since 1938. That year, Ernie Lombardi won the title with a .342 average and Frank McCormick finished third batting .327.

A first time All-Star this season, Castellanos’ production dipped right after he returned from a right wrist microfracture on Aug. 5. Despite that, he came in to play Tuesday batting .351 with six home runs and five doubles -- including a still active six-game hitting streak -- since Aug. 16.

“It was as to be expected. He had a tough time immediately after the injury just getting back on track, but that’s just the way things go with injuries,” Bell said. “And since then, he’s kind of gotten back to what he’s done all year. So just really a continuation of a great season.”

More plunkings

When Eugenio Suárez and Asdrúbal Cabrera were hit by pitches -- back to back -- in the sixth inning during Monday’s 4-3 Reds loss to the Cubs, it extended the team's franchise record. Cincinnati hitters have been plunked 94 times entering Tuesday -- far exceeding the previous record of 81 set in 2004.

“Do I feel like we’re getting intentionally thrown at? No. Has it ever happened? Yeah, I’m sure, and I know,” Bell said. “We’ve dealt with that. I’ve pretty much made that known when I feel that way, and that is never acceptable. But for the most part, I don’t believe it’s intentional. I believe it’s how pitchers are attacking our hitters. I don’t take it lightly, but I don’t think it’s intentional.”