Brent Suter is a great Cincinnati story

During the offseason, Cincinnati Reds reliever Brent Suter had his routine. He’d work out in the morning. Then, he’d go home and spend time with his kids. During their nap time, he’d head out for meetings.

Those meetings would be coffee with a community leader, prep time for a charity event or a visit to the Reds Youth Academy. “You can ask my wife,” says Suter. “She was definitely aware of how often I had something going on.”

Suter, a Moeller High School grad who lives in Cincinnati year-round, doesn’t take many off days. With the Reds, he’s known as a durable, dependable reliever who’s the first guy to step up when a short-handed bullpen needs a few extra innings. Off the field, he was the Reds’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award in recognition of his dedication toward helping his hometown.

“Here in Cincinnati, being a Red goes a long way in the community,” says Suter. “You’re able to make a really strong impact and develop really good relationships with organizations and communities. People care. They love the Reds. They love Cincinnati. To be able to mesh those things together over and over again is a blessing beyond belief.”

Suter has one of the brightest personalities in baseball. Before games, he’ll run across the field to hug former teammates, even guys that he may have only been on the same team with for a short time. He’s known for his impressions, especially iconic MLB broadcaster Harry Caray and actor Jim Carrey.

Suter debuted with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016. Most rookies are pretty quiet until they get established. “I was too much,” says Suter. He remembers yelling across the clubhouse at Wrigley Field during his first week as a big leaguer. “The guys were like, ‘We love the energy, you’ve got to tone it down,’” Suter remembers.

Suter didn’t change. The next year, he “got pranked real bad” by his teammates. He saw it as a good reminder that he was maybe a bit too energetic for a young guy. He learned that “maybe you’ve got to pick your spots.”

The more established he became, the fewer eggshells that he had to walk on. Every day during the season, Suter fist bumps everyone in the clubhouse from teammates and clubhouse managers to reporters who are around. He seems to know the name of absolutely everyone that sets foot in Great American Ball Park. His enthusiasm is consistent, and Suter isn’t much different if the team is on a 10-game winning streak or a 10-game losing streak.

“He’s the happiest human on the planet,” says Reds reliever Emilio Pagán. “He’s always in a good mood. He has a very infectious attitude. He comes in in a good mood, and is always optimistic. In the game that we play, that’s very important. If you can come in every day with the same approach, having that positive attitude can be a huge influence.”

Reds reliever Tony Santillan is now one of the best relievers on the team. But at this point last year, he was on a minor-league contract and was slated to start the year in Triple-A. He had a locker in the back right corner of the spring training clubhouse, away from the big leaguers.

On the first day of spring training last year, Suter made a point to go across the clubhouse and get to know Santillan. The conversation still means a lot to the young pitcher. “He always checks in on me,” says Santillan. “He roots for everyone in the clubhouse. He’s the same guy no matter who the individual is. Awesome. Amazing. Goofy. Crazy. Psycho. Any word, you can put next to Brent Suter. He’s a character.”

Reds pitcher Wade Miley calls Suter a “top-three teammate” in baseball. Suter means so much to Miley that Miley did him a favor. In 2021, Miley pitched for the Reds but got waived at the end of the year. As a result, he had a house in Cincinnati for sale.

Suter’s in-laws lived across the street. Miley sold the house to Suter, who got a great home in his hometown. “He’s incredible,” says Miley. “The energy is through the roof. I don’t know how he does it. He’s fearless talking to people with the energy he brings.”

Even before he joined the Reds, Suter made a point during the offseason to help his hometown. He was an active volunteer at the Reds Youth Academy, where he worked with young players.

Heading into the 2024 season, the Reds signed Suter to a one-year contract and added him to their bullpen. He called it a dream to pitch for his hometown team, but couldn’t know quite what to expect. “I was expecting some cons,” says Suter.

He says that he didn’t find any. “I’ve been able to live an awesome, very normal life still in Cincinnati,” says Suter. “The level of impact that I can have just showing up to places has been a really nice surprise. Just showing up goes a long way being a Cincinnati Red as opposed to being any big leaguer. Being a Red means a lot to Cincinnati. Those are connections I can use the rest of my life because I’ll be in Cincinnati. That’s been an unexpected blessing.”

Suter has a lot of off-field projects going on. He studied environmental science and public policy while he played college baseball at Harvard, and “saving the planet” has always been a passion point for him. He’s involved with organizations like Players for the Planet and Eco Athletes, and he’s a “captain” for the Ocean Conservancy project. “I do a lot of activism getting people thinking about our energy usage and trying to limit plastic in the ocean,” says Suter.

He works with the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League, which gives athletes with special abilities the opportunity to play baseball. He volunteers with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit organization that provides beds for children in need. He has partnered with Freestore Foodbank and La Soupe, two organizations that help fight hunger in Cincinnati.

After he signed with the Reds, Suter became very involved with the Sam Hubbard Foundation. Suter and the retired Bengals defensive end have known each other for years having crossed paths at Moeller. “My vision is to impact Cincinnati youth as much as I can,” says Suter. “Help them get schooling, supplies, get fed and have a place to sleep at night.”

Suter says that an event with Hubbard was the highlight of his offseason. Suter and Hubbard visited the Xavier Jesuit Academy in early February in an event that provided shoes for 79 kids. “I was hoping for a great event, and it was beyond anything I could have believed,” says Suter. “The smiles on the kids’ faces were electric. It was a culmination of so many things.”

Heading into 2025, the Reds’ first move in the offseason was re-signing Suter to a one-year contract that also includes a team option for 2026. Last season, Suter was one of 14 left-handed relievers in all of MLB who pitched in at least 45 games and posted an ERA of 3.15-or-better.

He was one of the more reliable left-handed relievers in the big leagues, and Suter helped lead a very young Reds’ clubhouse. The Reds are counting on him, and Suter embraces the chance to have this opportunity in the city that he grew up in.

“I’ve been blessed,” says Suter. “I love what I do. It comes from genuinely being excited to be playing a game that I love for a living. That’s been my dream since I was 4 years old. I do everything with gratitude and an attitude that these are gifts I’ve been given.”