MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 27: Shogo Akiyama #4 of the Cincinnati Reds bats against the Minnesota Twins. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama got off to a rough start.
The abrupt halt to spring training and abbreviated season may have effected no one on the Cincinnati Reds more so than Shogo Akiyama. The Reds rookie outfielder struggled in the early-going with the transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to the major leagues, but was the hottest hitter down the stretch for Cincinnati.
After several successful seasons overseas in Japan, Akiyama made his big league debut in 2020.