Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez established himself as a premier power hitter during his first stint with the team, which lasted from 2015 to 2021. The 34-year-old returned to the Reds in February, and he's one of the reasons why they're atop the NL Central at 13-8.

Suarez is hitting .270 with a .774 OPS, three homers, and 11 RBIs over 21 games thus far.  The 5-foot-11, 213-pounder is third on the team in OPS behind first baseman Sal Stewart (1.040) and shortstop Elly De La Cruz (.874). 

The three players represent different aspects of Cincinnati's roster. De La Cruz is the franchise cornerstone, a homegrown talent who broke out in 2024 and could earn his third straight All-Star nod this year. Stewart could be its next young star, as he was its No. 3 prospect in 2025 (per MLB Pipeline) and could win NL Rookie of the Year honors this season.

Meanwhile, Suarez is the win-now free-agent acquisition. The Reds signed the native Venezuelan to a one-year, $15 million deal with a $16 million mutual option for 2027, so he's on a shorter commitment than his younger peers. 

However, winning teams need reinforcements from the open market to stay successful, and that's exactly what Suarez has helped Cincinnati do thus far. The Reds made their first playoff appearance since 2020 last season, and the two-time All-Star should only strengthen their chances of returning to the postseason if he stays healthy.

Suarez hit fifth as the designated hitter for Cincinnati in Saturday's 5-4 road win over the Minnesota Twins, the club's fourth victory in its last five contests. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs, as he scored after both of his hits. 

Suarez also went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in Friday's 2-1 win over the Twins. The rest of the team only had two hits, but that was enough for the Reds to win thanks to a clinical performance by the pitching staff.

Suarez has six multi-hit games in April and has at least one hit in nine of the 16 contests thus far. If his batting average stays around .270, it'll be his highest since he hit .271 over 159 games in 2019.

Cincinnati will try to sweep Minnesota on Sunday before finishing its road trip against the Tampa Bay Rays. Sunday's game starts at 2:10 p.m. ET, and right-handed pitcher Brady Singer will start for the Reds against right-hander Bailey Ober.