Carlos Jorge Opens Winter Ball With a Two-Run Bomb

Reds fans, winter ball is here, and one of our young outfielders already left a mark.

Our Take: This is exactly the kind of offseason Carlos Jorge needs. Every good at-bat this winter is an audition for a crowded outfield in Goodyear.

The Dominican Winter League opened Friday night, and Jorge started in center field and led off for the Gigantes del Cibao, per Redleg Nation's Doug Gray. Noelvi Marte started in right field and hit second. With the Gigantes up 2-1 in the seventh, Jorge crushed a two-run homer to center off reliever Huáscar Ynoa, and Cibao went on to beat the Águilas Cibaeñas 4-1, according to the AP and LIDOM. Jorge finished 1-for-4. Marte added a sacrifice fly and a stolen base.

After the game, Jorge told the league site that the experience he picked up last season taught him to stay calm and not let the speed of the game get to him.

What to watch: whether Jorge keeps getting leadoff at-bats in center and Marte keeps hitting behind him. Both are fighting for a spot in Cincinnati's 2027 outfield.

Sources: Redleg Nation, LIDOM, AP