Aristides Aquino is the fastest of 12 career circuits

PITTSBURGH – When Aristides "PJ" Aquino advance on set, he does so so high and with confidence. As the opposing thrower prepares, he lays his bat perpendicular to the ground and looks through, as if it were a golfer reading the break of a green or an archer lining up.

PITTSBURGH – When Aristides "PJ" Aquino step by step, he does it so high and so confident. As the opposing thrower prepares, he approaches his bat perpendicular to the ground and looks at it as if it were a golfer reading the break of a green or an archer aligning his shot.

When Aquino swings the stick, the ball tends to go very far and, for the moment, to do the story. He broke all records records this season, and scored another in the record books in Friday's 3-2 loss to Pirates at PNC Park.

• The score of the box

After playing four games without a career, Aquino took first place in his first race against Pirates starter Mitch Keller. Although the Aquino explosion flew 402 feet cast by Statcast, the ball just barely crossed the fence in the center-right field, giving the Reds a lead. But that put Aquino in the books. Again.

The list up here?

• Most circuits in the first 12, 14, 16, 17 and 22 games of a MLB player.

• Tied for most circuits in the first 20 games of a MLB player.

• The MLB's first rookie and the first Reds player to make the circuit in three straight sets.

Aquino is close to reaching the Reds franchise record with 14 home runs in a month, set by Greg Vaughn and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. He has nine games to get there.

In a team with star sluggers like Joey Votto and Eugenio Suárez, Aquino holds the No. 4 spot in order, propelling the Reds almost every night.

"We are asking him a lot, and he has really progressed," said David Bell, director of Cincinatti. "Really, it says a lot about who he is as a person and where he became a hitter."

Bell saw another building block set up in Aquino's approach with the customer on Friday. Twenty-five-year-old Keller sat on Keller's hard curve, then found himself facing a slider, a 10-shot offer and five strikeouts, which slashed the bottom of the strike area.

"It's impressive, when we can deal with a good pitcher in this situation, when they make their pitch," said Bell. "That says a lot about his battering status."

The regression expected for a formidable rookie simply refuses to come for Aquino, who has a batting average of .338 and a .873 strike percentage, but said he was starting to see signs of taking throwers into account.

"To be honest, I'm just trying to have a good fight," said Aquino through an interpreter. "I know that they'll throw me, move on these grounds [to make it] uncomfortable, but the only thing I can control, is to give a good sweep. "

Even opponents can be confused by what happens next, especially when he has three days on Friday. Pirates director Clint Hurdle said: "We will try to find a way to improve it for the rest of the game."

The other thing that Aquino can control is his behavior: the way he behaves, the way he prepares for the games and the level of effort he shows. He ticked all these boxes for his manager.

"That's what kept him on this track because he's here," said Bell. "He made a good start by hitting the circuits, but just his mature approach and his behavior. He is very confident at the plate. "

This confidence was defeated in eighth place, while Aquino made a full count with two outs and a runner in second place. Keone Kela, one of the first readers of the configuration of hackers. At the fourth turn left that he saw from Kela, Aquino turned and led him to the left corner of the field for a starting run at a time.

"I think these are the moments that make a player a very good player," said Aquino, "those times when there is clutch, clutch at bat, and that I really appreciate those at-bats."

Although this advance did not arise because of Raisel Iglesias'Four strikes on a length of 12 lengths, the final allowed Pablo Reyes Aquino has shown once again why the Reds see it as such an important part of his future. Whether the team succeeds or not at the end of the season, its development is a key element for the club.

"His approach is really solid," said Bell, "so we will continue to challenge him."