Spencer Steer

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Spencer Gordon Steer

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Biographical Information[edit]

Infielder Spencer Steer was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 2019 amateur draft, out of the University of Oregon, three years after having been a 29th-round selection by the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 amateur draft. He was coming off a season that had seen him hit .349 in 56 games for the Ducks. He also set the school record for RBIs with 177 over his three seasons, and was the highest-drafted position player in school history.

He split his first pro season in 2019 between the Elizabethton Twins of the Appalachian League and the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League, with a combined batting line of .280/.385/.424 in 64 games. After being forced to sit out the 2020 season because the minor leagues were shut down by the Coronavirus pandemic, he returned in 2021 with Cedar Rapids and the AA Wichita Wind Surge, combining to hit .254/.348/.484 in 110 games, with 18 doubles and 24 homers. In both of his first two seasons he played all three positions on the left side of the infield - 2B, 3B and SS. In 2022, he began the year in Wichita and after 35 games was promoted to the AAA St. Paul Saints. He was named to play in the 2022 Futures Game and was hitting .269 in 83 games when on August 3rd he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for P Tyler Mahle, alongside Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Steven Hajjar. He was assigned to the Louisville Bats.

Steer made his major league debut with his new team, the Reds, on September 3, 2022, starting at third base against the Colorado Rockies. He got off to a good start, reaching base in all four his plate appearances, with two hits and as many walks. The first of the hits was a homer off Kyle Freeland in the 5th inning, and he later hit a double off closer Alex Colomé that started the game-winning rally in the 9th, as he scored the decisive run in a 3-2 win on a single by Jonathan India. 1B Joey Votto, out for the rest of the season with an injury, was taking a guest turn in the announcers' booth during the 5th inning and got to make the call on his home run. He batted .211 in 28 games, with 2 homers and 8 RBIs; his OPS+ was 73.

In 2023, he was in the Reds' everyday line-up even if he did not have regular position, splitting his starts between first base and third base. Still, he was hitting well, justifying his spot in the line-up. He was named the National League Rookie of the Month in May when he batted .391 in his final 15 games, while crushing 6 homers and driving in 19 runs during the month. He played 156 games, hitting .271 with 23 homers and 76 games for an OPS+ of 118. In 2024, he was the starter in left field, with the occasional game at first base. On May 17th, he hit a foul ball that reached infinite improbability drive, as it was caught in the stands by his twin brother, Trevor.

Notable Achievements[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

  • Mark Sheldon: "'Something you dream of': Steer makes memorable debut", mlb.com, September 2, 2022. [1]

Related Sites[edit]

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