 Going into the season, manager Rogers Hornsby was optimistic that they would have a better club with more power overall, citing Landrith as one of the new players that could help the 1953 Reds be a success.Hornsby made it clear that veteran Andy Seminick would be the number one catcher on the depth chart for the Reds, but also said that Landrith would get a "good look" after witnessing his performance with the Reds at the end of the 1952 season, praising that he liked his "hustle".Landrith impressed during spring training, capping off the exhibition season with a 5-RBI day against the Detroit Tigers with a three-run home run in a 10–9 winning effort on April 12.