Three Early Season Trends for the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds have had a mixed bag to start the season. There’s been some very good developments and some concerning developments. Here are three trends to pay attention to after the first 12 games of the season:
Shoot for Four
The pressure is on the Reds' lineup. They are 6-3 in games with four runs or more, and 0-3 in games with three runs or less. When it comes to performances from Hunter Green, Andrew Abbott, Nick Martinez, and whatever else they may get from guys like Nick Lodolo, and company, they need plenty of support. When they’re in situations like they’re in now, where most of the lineup is in a bit of a slump, they at least need to be on base for the couple of hitters that are on fire. Right now, the bulk of the production for the Reds is coming from Elly de la Cruz and Spencer Steer. Outside of those two, the team has been inconsistent at the plate.
Get the Hook Ready
It used to seem like David Bell had a quick hook, but it may need to be quicker. The Reds bullpen is full of talent. While the starting pitching staff has immense upside, they are still inconsistent. We saw this in game two against the Brewers, where Graham Ashcraft was completely unhittable for four innings, and then super vulnerable for the next two innings.
Bell needs to be better at judging those situations and getting the bullpen going on time, especially now that Martinez may be moving to the bullpen. There will be two different relief pitchers (Martinez and Brent Suter) that can give the Reds three or even four innings, if need be. This is not a weapon that Bell has had in his first couple of years in Cincinnati. He needs to trust his bullpen.
Backstop Conundrum
Do the Reds think there is a catcher controversy? Tyler Stephenson and Luke Maile have both played almost equal games. Stephenson was once seen as not only the starting catcher, but also a linchpin in the lineup. Neither of those seem to be true at this point in this season.
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JEFF CARR
Jeff has hosted the only daily podcast covering the Cincinnati Reds since 2018. He’s been a life long fan of the Reds. He was at Clinchmas and the 2015 Home Run Derby. He is also the channel manager that supports all MLB podcasts on the Locked On Podcast Network. Jeff has extensive media experience as he covered college basketball and volleyball for Tennessee State and college softball for Mercer University.