Spencer Steer: Five things to ...

Cincinnati Reds rookie Spencer Steer hit his team-leading 16th home run Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Steer also leads the Reds in games played (105), hits (106), doubles (22) and walks (46). Though he made a strong case to be an All-Star in his first full big-league season and wasn't selected, future All-Star appearances appear likely.

Among the most memorable highlights of Steer's young career so far: a walk-off homer in a 7-5 win June 30 against the San Diego Padres. And Steer homered, doubled, walked twice and scored the game-winning run in his Major League debut last September.

Here are five things to know about one of the Reds' most exciting young players:

Steer was acquired by the Reds from the Twins in the Tyler Mahle trade.

On Aug. 2, 2022, the Reds sent Mahle to Minnesota for Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Steve Hajjar. Mahle posted a 4.41 ERA in four 2022 starts for the Twins. He was injured during his fifth start of this season, and the Twins announced Tommy John surgery for Mahle in May.

Encarnacion-Strand is hitting .261 with a home run and 9 RBIs in 49 plate appearances for the Reds since his mid-July promotion. His pinch-hit homer was his first big-league hit. Hajjar was dealt to Cleveland to complete the Reds' deal for Will Benson, who hit .350 in June.

Steer was a third-round pick of the Twins (90th overall) in 2019.

The only player taken in the 2019 third round with a better WAR than Steer is the Atlanta Braves' Michael Harris II. Selected in the same round: former Glen Este High School standout Peyton Burdick (Marlins), and pitcher Levi Stoudt (Mariners), acquired by the Reds in the Luis Castillo trade and now at Triple-A Louisville.

The Reds took Tyler Callihan five picks before Steer. Callihan is hitting .226 with eight homers and 19 stolen bases for High-A Dayton.

Cincinnati selected pitcher Nick Lodolo in the first round (seventh overall) that year. The Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll, the odds-on favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year, went 16th overall. The Reds' second-round pick was Rece Hinds, who's hitting .266 with 16 homers for Double-A Chattanooga.

Steer has made a seemless transition to outfielder.

Steer already has established himself as one of the most versatile players on the team. The Enquirer's Charlie Goldsmith wrote that Steer approached Reds manager David Bell in June and said he was willing to learn how to play the outfield if it would help the team.

"It's natural for me to do everything to try to win," Steer said, per Goldsmith. "I've never been the guy who feels entitled enough to say, 'This is my position.' I've always enjoyed moving around. It was a no-brainer for me to just go with the flow and do whatever the team needs."

Steer has appeared in left field in 19 games this season. He's played first base in 64 games, third base in 33 games and second base in two games.

Oregon, in fact, recruited Steer as a pitcher.

A 2016 graduate of Millikan High School, Steer earned the win in relief in the Moore League championship game. But make no mistake: He was a great hitter in high school, too, with a .438 batting average as a senior.

"On the (college) visit, I said, 'Hey, I play infield too,'" Steer said.

Three years later, Steer hit .349 with an OPS of .958 and was named first-team all-Pac 12 as a junior. Steer was the second player from Oregon selected in the 2019 draft. Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson was taken one round earlier, 56th overall.

Steer, Reds starter Andrew Abbott and Stoudt were teammates in the Cape Cod League.

All three played for Orleans in 2018. Abbott had completed his freshman year at Virginia, and Steer had played two seasons for the Ducks. Steer hit .304 with five homers. And plate discipline already was a strength for him; he had 41 hits and 19 strikeouts that summer. Goldsmith wrote in May that Steer has become known for his ability to track breaking balls.