Will Benson
#30 LF · Reds
Height
6'4"
Weight
230 lbs
Age
27
College
N/A
Draft
2016, Rd 1, #14
Experience
4 yrs
Bats/Throws
L/L
D+
D+
D
—
Fan Verdict
Grade this player:
Career StatsD+
| Year | Team | GP | AVG | HR | RBI | OPS | SB | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 378 | 0.2215256 | 38 | 121 | 0.71499795 | 38 | 212 |
Current Contract
Length
1 year
Total Value
$1.7M
Guaranteed
$1.0M
AAV
$1.7M/yr
Guaranteed %60%
Performance Analysis
D+
FCA+
Will Benson grades as an above average performer among MLB left fielders, earning a B Performance grade. He is hitting with a 0.224 batting average and a 0.720 OPS (near the league average of .720) this season. With 37 home runs and 118 RBI through 354 games (a 17-HR, 54-RBI pace over a full season), he brings moderate power to the lineup. His 37 stolen bases add an elite speed dimension that creates additional offensive value. As a player entering his prime window at 27, Will is a key contributor for the Reds. A 354-game sample provides high confidence in this grade.
Fan & Media Sentiment
D
Negative
NegativeNeutralPositive
The public narrative around Will Benson sits at a D sentiment grade, reflecting a fanbase and media landscape that sees him as a depth piece on uncertain footing rather than a defined contributor on a Reds club currently sitting at 20-16 and in the playoff picture. The coverage isn't hostile, but it isn't encouraging either — the dominant media thread questions whether Benson and fellow outfielder JJ Bleday can realistically coexist on the same roster, which is rarely the framing you want surrounding a 27-year-old entering his fourth year with a club. Manager Terry Francona recently addressed Benson's role publicly, which signals organizational awareness of the uncertainty, but comments of that nature tend to generate more questions than confidence when they're necessary at all. His D+ performance grade confirms that the skepticism is grounded in reality — there's no on-field production argument strong enough to quiet the roster-fit conversation, and without an awards boost or standout statistical case to point to, the narrative has no counter-weight. The recent team activity — adding Blake Dunn to the outfield mix and shuffling pitching pieces through roster and IL moves — only adds to the crowded-depth-chart perception surrounding Benson's place on this roster. With the Reds in a genuine playoff race and 144 days still left in the regular season, every roster spot carries real stakes, and Benson's margin for error looks slim. The bottom line is a narrative that has been trending downward over the last 30 days, settling into a cautious, show-me posture from both media and fans — he secured his Opening Day spot, but the question of whether he'll still be holding it come September remains genuinely open.
Recent Games
| Date | OPP | Result | AB | H | R | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5/8 | vs HOU | L 0-10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Thu, 5/7 | @ CHC | L 3-8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Transaction History
News & Buzz
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About this player
Will Benson is a player in his 4th MLB season listed at LF for the Reds. FanVerdicts maintains four independent grades for every MLB player on an active roster — Contract Value Index for the deal itself, Performance for on-field production, Sentiment for media and fan reaction, and Fan Verdict for community voting. Current grades for Will Benson: Contract Value Index D+, Performance D+, Sentiment D, Fan Verdict pending.
Every grade refreshes on its own cadence as new data lands. Performance recalculates when MLB game stats post; Sentiment updates with new media coverage and fan discussion; Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change; Fan Verdict reflects live community voting on this profile. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) the Contract Value Index grade is computed against.
For league-wide context, the MLB hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The MLB player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.