Last name is pronounced sen-ZELL...Was selected by the Reds in the first round (2nd overall) of the June 2016 first-year player draft...was rated the best pure hitter in that draft...was the Reds' highest draft pick since they took SS Kurt Stillwell with the second pick of the 1983 draft...For 2 consecutive seasons (2018, 2019) was rated by Baseball America and MLB.com's MLB Pipeline the best overall prospect in the organization...Following the 2018 season was rated by Baseball America the best player in the organization, the International League's best defensive second baseman and the IL's sixth-best prospect overall...Was the organization's Minor League Player of the Month for June 2018...In 2017 received the Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award as the Reds' Minor League Player of the Year, was a Baseball America All-Star, the organization's Player of the Month for August, Southern League Player of the Week for 8/7-8/13 and participated in both the Florida State League All-Star Game and SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game...In 2016 was an MiLB.com Organization All-Star...In November 2017 participated in a leadership training program at West Point.
Played at the University of Tennessee, where he majored in psychology...was a semifinalist for the 2016 Golden Spikes Award, an award given annually to the best amateur baseball player in the country... in 2015 was named the Cape Cod League's Most Valuable Player, the league's best professional prospect and Summer Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year...follow on Twitter @LilSenzii.
2019
In his Major League debut made 92 starts, all in CF, and 104 apps overall...Didn't debut until 5/3 but still ranked among the National League rookie leaders in outfield assists (4, T3rd), walks (T6th), stolen bases (8), doubles (T8th), multi-hit games (28, T8th), runs scored (9th) and extra-base hits (36, T9th)...Led the Reds in starts in CF (92) and in starts batting leadoff (62)...tied Yasiel Puig for the team lead in stolen bases (14)...Because of a right shoulder injury did not start any of the Reds' last 23 games of the season and, while not on the injured list, was unavailable to play the last 19 games...Made his last start of the season on 9/3 vs Phi...on 9/4 was scratched with right shoulder soreness...pinch hit on 9/5...pinch ran on 9/6...pinch ran on 9/7, his last appearance of the year...An MRI on 9/6 revealed a tear in the labrum of his right shoulder...had surgery on 9/24...was expected to be ready on or around Opening Day 2020...Is the only player in franchise history, and 1 of only 22 players in Major League history, to produce 3 HR in his first 4 Major League apps...Produced 3 leadoff HR (5/6 vs SF off Drew Pomeranz, 6/12 at Cle off Zach Plesac, 8/17 vs StL off Miles Mikolas)...Zack Cozart (4 in 2012) and Drew Stubbs (3 in 2009) are the only other Reds rookies with at least 3 leadoff HR in a season...His batting average peaked at .285 through 8/2.On 5/3 was promoted from Louisville and that night vs SF made his Major League debut, started in CF and batted second in the order (1-5, 2bb, 1r)...Recorded his first career hit in his Major League debut (single off Tony Watson), his first HR in his second appearance (solo off Dereck Rodríguez), his first stolen base in his third game and both his first career leadoff HR (off Drew Pomeranz) & first career 2-homer game in his fourth appearance...On 5/4 vs SF, in the fifth inning homered behind Derek Dietrich as the second of back-to-back HR off Dereck Rodríguez...became the first Reds batter to homer in his first or second career appearance since Drew Stubbs did it in his second game on 8/20/09 vs SF, also at GABP...In the 12-4 win on 5/6 produced his first career leadoff HR (Drew Pomeranz) and his first career multihomer game (both off Pomeranz)...Reached base safely in each of his first 16 apps at Great American Ball Park, a streak snapped on 6/2 vs Wsh (20-68, .294, 4hr, 7rbi, .364obp)...was the longest such home streak by a Reds player to start his career since Drew Stubbs reached base safely in each his first 25 apps at GABP spanning the 2009 and 2010 seasons...From 5/3, the date of his promotion, through 6/8 started in CF in 32 consecutive games and played every inning...that 32-game streak of consecutive starts was the longest by any Reds player this season and was snapped on 6/9 at Phi, but in the seventh inning of that 4-3 win he pinch hit, singled and then scored the go-ahead run before playing the last 3 innings in CF...In the 10-2 win on 5/26 at Cubs had 3 hits and 4 runs scored...became the first Reds batter since at least 1908 to score 4 runs in a game within his first 21 career apps and the first Reds leadoff hitter with 4 runs in a game since Billy Hamilton did it on 5/5/17 vs SF...In the 17-9 win on 7/13 at Coors Field produced a career-high 4 hits, including a double and 2 triples, and fell a home run shy of the cycle...Went hitless on 6/2 vs Wsh, snapping his season-high 9-game hitting streak (14-41, .341, 5 2b, 1hr, 5rbi, .378obp) and a 20-game on-base streak that tied Joey Votto's for the longest by a Reds hitter in 2019 (26-86, .302, 6 2b, 2 3b, 1hr, 8rbi, 4sb, .358obp)...In the eighth and ninth innings of the 12-5 loss on 8/8 vs Cubs, as a part of a double switch made his only Major League appearance at 2B...On 9/1/night at StL snapped a season-high 0-for-17 skid (8/28-9/1) with a solo HR off Daniel Ponce De Leon...Was 1 of 5 Reds players to make his Major League debut (IF/OF Josh VanMeter, OF Brian O'Grady, RHP Jimmy Herget, RHP Joel Kuhnel)...Was the fourth of 4 first-round/supplemental first-round draft picks to play CF for the Reds in 2019 (Jesse Winker, Michael Lorenzen, Phillip Ervin)...Began the season on Louisville's injured list with a right ankle sprain suffered on 3/25 during a spring training game in Goodyear...came off the IL on 4/23 and made 8 apps for the Bats before he was promoted on 5/3...Participated in his second straight Major League spring training camp as a non-roster invitee...in 12 spring training apps for the Reds hit .308 (6 2b, 3rbi, 4sb)...was reassigned to minor league camp on 3/22, just 2 days before the Reds broke camp...Entered the season rated 10th on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list.
