Overview:
• The Cincinnati Reds are at halftime of their season with a 47-50 record and a .485 winning percentage.
• Their hitting has been inconsistent, but their starting pitching, led by All-Star Hunter Green and Andrew Abbott, has been strong.
• The team will need to add new talent to make a playoff run as they currently sit 8 games out of first place in the NL Central and 3.5 games out of the Wild Card race.
The Reds, along with the rest of MLB, is ‘unofficially’ at halftime. Cincinnati has played 97 of 162 games thus far this season. The Reds are 47-50 and have a winning percentage of .485. Average is .500. The team is in fourth place and eight games out of first place. In the much more obtainable Wild Card race Cincy stands only 3 ½ games out of first place.
The first half of the season can be summed up several ways. Periods of excitement. Periods of extreme disappointment. Inconsistency,..very little hitting,..outstanding pitching.
Hunter Green was a top pick of the Reds just a few years ago. He has done what the Reds knew he always had the potential of doing. Green is now an All-Star pitcher. He, along with Elle De La Cruz will represent the Reds in the MLB All Star Game. Starting pitching has been a strong suit of the Reds. Green has led the way. The Reds’ phenom ended the first half of the season with a 6-4 record with a 3.34 ERA.
Not far behind Green is Andrew Abbott. Abbott has shown his stuff to be every bit as tough as he has posted a 9-6 record with a 3.39 ERA.
While the starting pitcher has been the Reds’ shiny toy,…it’s the hitting that has led much to be desired. The team has shown spurts where they can put runs up in bunches. Most of the time, losses sustained were due to lack of hitting, strikeouts, and poor base running.
It has been ‘small ball’ the Reds have had issues with. The team has shown they can hit home runs with the best of the league. The ability to get runners on base in has plagued the team. The teams most consistent and dangerous hitters have been Del la Cruz (.256 average with 17 home runs and 43 rbi’s)..Spencer Steer (.242 with 15 home runs and 60 rbi’s) and Jeimer Candelario (.241 with 16 home runs and 45 rbi’s) If the team is going to make a run at the playoffs, other players will need to step up and hit.
The biggest questions for Cincinnati is whether the team remains aggressive and obtains new talent to make a run at the playoffs? Or will they try and unload players they have to build around their core for the future?..The answer is likely neither. Historically, the team has not sold or bought players before the trade deadline. They usually take their chances with the team they’ve fielded on Day 1 and let the chips fall where they may.
At the end of the day, winning costs. The team is where they are for a reason. Slightly below average results have been a result of slightly below average play. Adding a few players to the lineup could likely end in post season success. Hesitancy will likely get the home team packing along with most other teams when the post season starts.