Andrew Corbett, Media Production, 26′
Spring training is underway in Goodyear, Arizona for the Cincinnati Reds, as they look to make a splash during the 2024 season. Cincinnati finished the season 82-80 last year, being just their third winning year in the last 10 seasons.
The Reds were struck with a plethora of rookie talent, with the likes of Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, Christian Encarnacion Strand (CES), and Andrew Abbott during the 2023 campaign. The energy provided from these young players turned the season around almost immediately. Sitting at 18-22 the day McLain got called up, and 28-33, nearly a month later when De La Cruz got the call.
Cincinnati became one of the most fun teams in baseball the second these rookies made their debuts. McLain had a .290 batting average, with 15 home runs, and 14 stolen bases, while De La Cruz hit .235 with 35 stolen bases.
Even though McLain and De La Cruz are set to lead Cincinnati this year, the other players cannot be overlooked. The Reds are an extremely deep team this year and will only get better as their farm system is still loaded with phenomenal talent.
The Infield:
The Reds have a complete logjam on the infield this year. Free agent signing Jeimer Candelario adds an explosive bat to lineup and is set to switch back and forth between first and third base.
Other players, like Spencer Steer, and former rookie of the year Jonathan India will see limited time in the infield, as they each make the switch to an outfield role. Steer was a top player for the Reds last year, hitting .271 with 86 runs batted in (RBI’s). When the rookie talent started arriving at Great American Ballpark, Steer started moving all over the place. First base, third base, and right field are all spots we should expect to see him in this year, similar to the end of last season.
India on the other hand had been the team’s second basemen, until McLain proved he deserves that spot last year. So far in spring training, India has been taking reps in the outfield, but won’t appear in a game until March 7.
To round out the infield we have De La Cruz, who should hold down the shortstop position for this season, with Marte, and CES being available at almost any position in the infield.
The Outfield:
As of now, the only clear starter in the outfield for the Reds is T.J. Friedl, who has locked down the center field spot. Friedl was stellar in this position last year, making himself a finalist for a Gold Glove award. Friedl hit .279 and had 27 stolen bases last year.
As mentioned above, Steer and India will be battling it out with Jake Fraley, and Will Benson for the corner spots.
Fraley has quickly become a fan favorite since he was acquired from the Mariners in the trade that sent Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez to Seatle in 2022. Last season Fraley .256 and had 56 RBI’s.
Benson has also quickly won over the hearts of Cincinnati fans. Benson was acquired last season from the Cleveland Guardians, in a trade that sent minor leaguer Justin Boyd to Cleveland in return. Benson’s hustle and baseball IQ makes him a very fast and tenacious player, looking for a breakout year in Cincinnati’s outfield this year.
Will Benson celebrating a home run. Photo from @Reds on X.
Pitching:
The main reason Cincy missed the playoffs last year was due to pitching injuries down the stretch of the season. The Front office recognized this and made it a priority to avoid that again this season.
Cincinnati has one of the deepest pitching staffs in all of baseball, and maybe the most depth in franchise history. The likely starting rotation features guys like Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, Nick Lodolo, and off-season addition Frankie Montas.
However, the guys backing them up more than capable of stepping should one of them be injured. Nick Martinez and Brandon Williamson will both be battling for a spot in that rotation but could find themselves in the bullpen to start the year. Other pitching candidates include Rhett Lowder, Chase Petty, Connor Phillips and Carson Spiers.
In a drastic change from last season, the bullpen looks to be in good shape as well. Headlined by off season additions, Emilio Pagan, and Brent Suter, followed by returnees Alexis Diaz, Lucas Sims, Sam Moll, Tejay Antone, along with Martinez and Williamson.