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.
CINCINNATI -- During his first season in Cincinnati, Reds fans learned that center fielder Dane Myers wasn't afraid of hitting a wall or giving up his body to make a catch.
“I think that’s just part of my game and the way I was taught to play," Myers said in Toronto on the final weekend of the season. "I don’t think it will change. Taking care of my body off the field is big so I can go out there and play like how I like to play.”
Myers, 30, paid for one of his wall collisions with a trip to the injured list for two weeks. On June 29 at Milwaukee, while making a successful catch, he hit the wall hard and was taken off on a medical cart before being diagnosed with a bruised left shoulder.
There were plenty of catches without harrowing outcomes, like this one on April 9 against the Marlins, or a game-ending grab into the wall in a win over Cleveland on July 28, or this catch on Sept. 4 that took a homer away from the Brewers' Sal Frelick.
After the season, Myers had surgery to clean up the AC joint in his left shoulder. His timetable to be ready could be close to the start of Spring Training.
“I felt like I played OK defense, but not quite to my standards," Myers said. "I think there are some plays I’d like to have back. That’s going to happen every year.”
One of those was on Aug. 20, when he dropped a routine fly ball that would have been the final out of a win after colliding with left fielder TJ Friedl. That led to a crushing loss vs. the Cardinals.
“That one is on top of the list, for sure," Myers said.
Myers was acquired from the Marlins on Dec. 27 in a trade for outfield prospect Ethan O'Donnell and earned his spot on the roster during Spring Training -- initially as part of a center field platoon with Friedl.
Over a career-high 117 games, Myers batted .257 with a .721 OPS and set more career highs with eight home runs, 75 hits, 11 doubles, 37 walks and 39 runs. Batting from the right side, he proved to be a key weapon against lefties -- especially as a pinch-hitter. His 11 hits as a pinch-hitter were tied for second most in MLB, one behind Randal Grichuk of the White Sox.
"Dane Myers is a guy that hit really well against lefties," president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. "He did a good job in that role. He made some steps forward."
Myers narrowed the gap between facing lefties and righties, especially later in the season as he got more regular opportunities. While his career OPS vs. lefties (.800) is more than 200 points higher vs. righties (.597), the difference was just under 100 points in 2026 (.777 to .678).
“I’ve always felt like I could handle both," Myers said. "For somebody to show the confidence in me to put me out there and give me those opportunities is pretty big. I’m glad I was kind of able to take advantage of that.”
Once he fully rehabs from surgery, Myers will be part of a Reds outfield mix that remains very much in flux. While corner outfielder JJ Bleday will be back, prospects like Héctor Rodríguez and Carlos Jorge (No. 15 in the Reds’ system, per MLB Pipeline) will be vying for spots, as will Noelvi Marte after a poor season. But if there is a place to add more much-needed offense to the lineup, it could be the outfield.
Overall, Myers was pleased with his year with the Reds and hopes for better in 2027.
“I think it went well. Maybe not exactly the numbers I was quite looking for, but I can look back on the year and say I was true to myself and played my game throughout the year," he said. "I feel like I got better as a player and a teammate. Obviously, the end goal wasn’t reached of making the postseason. I think we’ve got some stuff that we know we need to work on and build off of it."