By: Jay Miller
If you go to my personal twitter page, @Jay33Miller, and you look up my post from May 1, 2022, you will see me watching my beloved Cincinnati Reds with a bag over my head… in the comfort of my own living room. That is how embarrassing it was to be a Reds fan last year. It was not just the play on the field, which resulted in a 62-100 record. It was the way they lost and negative comments from the owner’s box, such as the classic Phil Castellini quote, “Where you gonna go?”
The 2022 season included an 11-game losing streak, 39 games below .500 at one point and 43 blown leads… 43… The face of the franchise since his MVP season of 2010, Joey Votto, played in just 91 games. Top 10 catcher in MLB, Tyler Stephenson was hitting .319 when a broken clavicle put him out for the season. Jonathan India followed up his 2021 Rookie of the Year campaign with a .249 batting average and just 28 extra base hits on the season. Oh… and we got to watch Aristides Aquino strike out 101 times in 80 games.
Reds fans have not had much to be excited about since… well… 2013. Ok, ok, I won’t forget that we made the postseason in the pandemic shortened season of 2020, in which the Reds failed to score a run in the playoffs in 24 innings played over two games against the Atlanta Braves. Since 2012, the Queen City franchise has won 90+ games twice and 80+ games just three times and won the NL Central once. Let’s dive a little bit deeper into the past. Since 1991, the year after the Redlegs last World Series title, the team has made the postseason just five times! That is a 31-year span, and for those of you keeping score, that is a 16% rate during that duration. In comparison, the Chicago Cubs have made the postseason nine times, including a World Series Championship in 2016.
But, here we are… It is the All-Star break and the Cincinnati Reds are in first place with a 50-41 record. So far, fans have seen the longest winning streak since the year my father was born (12 games and 1957), some rookie named Elly became the first Red to hit for the cycle since 1989, a guy making his ML debut recorded a save.
On April 23rd, the Reds lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0, and found themselves 8.5 games back in the division with an 8-15 record. Then, the team started playing a different brand of baseball, emphasizing their strengths as a ball club. The Reds finished May 14-14 and just three games behind first place in the division. Then… June happened… the Reds dropped the first four games of the month before winning the next 15 of 17 and finishing with an 18-9 record, and up by a game in the division.
Again, here we are… the All-Star break… with the Reds in first place. At what point do we Reds fans, and fans of baseball in general, sit back, rub our eyes cartoon style and say, “what did I just see?”
Dubbed, “America’s Team”, by Jonathan India during a postgame interview, the Reds have been winning in all sorts of ways, making them the most interesting team in baseball. At the break, the fleet-footed Reds have stolen a league-leading 112 bases, compared to their 58 from a year ago (ranked 24th). They are also top five in on-base percentage (.337), walks (337), RBI’s (437), triples (19) and runs scored (454) in all of MLB. All that is being done by a team that the average age is 27.2 years old. The second youngest team in MLB behind the Cleveland Guardians. A number skewed by the seventh oldest player in baseball, Joey Votto at age 39.
Let’s dive deeper into Joey Votto. This season was supposed to be this future Hall of Famer’s swan song. There were even talks before the start of the season about possible trades at the deadline that could include the former MVP. In 17 games since coming back from labrum surgery, Votto is hitting a modest .246, but with seven long balls and 18 RBIs he’s playing to the tune of a 0.5 WAR. Beyond getting back into the swing of things, pun intended, Votto seems to be mentoring the young players and making a major impact behind the scenes. Will Benson was recently interviewed about his resurgence since being called back up to the majors. “I really thank God for Joey Votto. He really took the time, even while he was dealing with his own rehab stuff. He sought me out and stayed on me, giving me encouragement,” Benson told the Cincinnati Enquirer.
While it seems the Canadian born first baseman is feeding off of the youth surrounding him in the dugout, we are also witnessing the birth of the most electrifying baseball player in the game right now in Elly De La Cruz. He does it all… regularly hitting balls 100+ mph off the bat and throwing 98+ mph across the diamond. He can be seen often stealing second, then third and when the pitcher isn’t paying attention, even home. De La Cruz was signed at 16 for $67,000, a virtual lottery ticket! He is now 21 and hitting .325 through 30 games with 16 stolen bases and 28 runs scored. An incredible stat line for any established veteran, but this dude just got here! Where he plays in the future, who cares, as Reds fans, we need to just sit back and enjoy this guy’s talent.
Then there is Mr. Viking himself, Jake Fraley, who just seems to come through in every clutch situation. Spencer Steer plays everywhere and just freakin’ hits! India and Stephenson are back to their old selves while Nick Senzel is posting his best season of his career. The real low-key MVP of the season so far belongs to Matt McLain, who should have been an All-Star.
McLain, a 2021 first round draft pick, has excelled as the everyday shortstop since being called up on May 15th. The UCLA product is hitting .300 with 16 doubles, 4 triples and 7 home runs while driving in 29. Did I mention he has 17 walks and 7 stolen bases? This dude has been in the bigs for just 50 games so far and he seems to be one of the most important players on the team.
I guess, that might be what makes this team so unique… there isn’t just “one” guy. It’s a full team! You don’t have 33 comeback wins when your offense revolves around one guy. Every night, it is a different player that puts on the cape and plays super hero. Sometimes… it’s a pitcher, who is making his ML debut… in extra innings… almost kills two KC Royals in the process… but somehow, someway, walks out of there with a save. May we never forget the Ricky Karcher experience… “holy sh*t!”
Speaking of pitchers, to be in first place, Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene must be having amazing seasons, right? Not really the case as Greene is on the IL for the second time this season and Lodolo may come back mid-August at the earliest. Andrew Abbott is another rookie that is playing like he’s been in the league for years, boasting a 4-1 record with a 2.38 ERA. Graham Ashcraft is still finding himself in terms of consistency, but is 4-6 in the first half. It has been arms like Alexis Diaz, who may have taken the thrown from his brother as the most dominant closer in baseball going 26 for 26 in save opportunities this season. Ian Gibaut, who played for Great Britian during the WBC, is 8-1 in relief. Yep, 8-1, team leader in wins! The 2015 11th round draft pick by the TB Rays has shined this season having already reached a career high in appearances.
Then there is Ben Lively. Who? Exactly! Drafted in 2010 out of high school by the Cleveland Indians, Lively chose to go to the University of Central Florida instead. Again, he was drafted, this time by the Reds in the fourth round back in 2013. A decade later, Lively is making a huge splash in Cincinnati. The 6’4” righty appeared in 35 games for the Phillies and Royals between 2017 and 2018. Then made one appearance in 2019 and that was it. Gone from MLB. From 2019-2021, Lively found himself playing for the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. He was released in 2021 due to a shoulder injury. After a minor league deal with the Reds in 2022, Lively again re-signed with Cincinnati for the 2023 season and has found himself in the rotation with a 4-5 record and an ERA under 4.00. Not too shabby for a guy who had been out of the league for three years! Less we forget Brett Kennedy, who had not pitched in a MLB game since 2018, comes out of independent ball, to get a win against the Washington Nationals… like WHAT IS HAPPENING!?!?!?!
That’s just it. That is what makes this team special. This group is a bunch of blue-collar dudes who are having fun and playing the game with a since of urgency. The NL Central is not a tough division top to bottom, but the Brewers and Reds will take this bad boy to the very end. What is really exciting is we won’t have to wait very long for the matchup since they will play each other in 6 of the Reds first 13 games after the break.
Whatever happens, happens, but for this Reds fan, I will be removing the bag from my head to watch the remainder of the games this season.