Of all the fringe teams that squeezed into the playoffs this year, the one that made me happiest might have been the Cincinnati Reds. This team has been so close to good recently, and even if this team still had some issues, the fact that they made the playoffs even for a few games against Atlanta is still pretty cool.
The big issue for this Reds team is the fact that while the pitching staff definitely showed up, the lineup was a few steps behind last year's. And you had guys like Eugenio Suarez, who were AWESOME in 2019, having more human moments, and hitting .202 despite leading the team in homers with 15 and RBIs with 38. Geno is still a great player, but he's gonna get caught up if he doesn't figure out how to strike out less.
2021 Prediction: Another 30 homer year with an ASG gig. Not sure if all of it will be with Cincinnati, though.
It's become clear that Joey Votto is officially past his prime, with a negative WAR year and some very perfunctory stats, and it's looking like he's just gonna have the Cabrera/Pujols status of continuing to play and do what he can without being very statistically impressive. Which is fine. I mean, Votto is a future Hall of Famer, he's had a ton of great seasons and everything, but...hitting .226 is new for him. Yes, he still hit 11 homers, but his contact abilities have lessened, and I can only imagine if the DH stays in the NL he'll be moved over there.
2021 Prediction: A slight upswing in average, but similar, end-of-career stats.
In his first season in Cincinnati after two strong years in a row, Mike Moustakas was...slightly disappointing. Look, he still had 8 homers and 27 RBIs, but he hit .230 with barely enough WAR totals to really register as a member of this team, similar to Nick Castellanos. Is it the oddity of the season, or is Moose beginning to trail off himself?
2021 Prediction: 30 home runs, barely any average to go with it.
Tucker Barnhart had a strong year this year, with his best defensive numbers since 2017, earning him his second gold-glove behind the plate. His plate numbers aren't the priority, but he did...alright. .204 with 13 RBIs. That's fine, especially if he's still an awesome catcher. I'll take that.
2021 Prediction: A full potential, all-star, better-offensively season for Barnhart. And then the eyes of the rest of the league start watching
Alright, so the big 3 of the Reds rotation truly made waves in 2020, and set the rest of the league ablaze. Yet the one starter that sort of fell through the cracks was 2018's standout, Tyler Mahle, the homegrown fireballer who fanned 60 in 10 games with a 3.59 ERA. Which means, yes, lower ERA than Sonny Gray.
2021 Prediction: Most likely to succeed early next year, and most likely to be traded if the team doesn't succeed.
The fifth member of the rotation, Anthony Desclafani, took a huge step backwards after a return to form year last year. Disco was saddled with a 7.22 ERA in 9 games, and was eventually moved to the bullpen. Not a great way to end his tenure in Cincinnati.
2021 Prediction: A low-cost signing that pays off for SF.
I have a ton more bullpen/post-Opening-Day members of this team that I'll post later tonight.
I hope Votto bounces back... but he isn't getting any younger. I just hope when he hangs up his cleats, he still has that career .300 average.
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