Cincinnati Reds 2020 Outlook
The Cincinnati Reds are one of the most improved teams going into 2020. They have signed Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, Derek Dietrich, Pedro Strop, Shogo Akiyama, Wade Miley and even traded for Jose De Leon. In 2019, the Reds had Eugenio Suarez, Joey Votto, Aristides Aquino, Michael Lorenzen, Trevor Bauer, Luis Castillo, and Sonny Gray. Will the Reds be a playoff team in 2020?
Playoffs
May be bold, but I believe the Reds will win the National League Central Division! The last time the Reds made the playoffs was in 2013 when they lost in the wildcard game to the Pirates. They now have four really good pitchers and a deep lineup. This Reds team will catch fire during the season, as I have them winning 91 games.
Luis Castillo
Why will the Reds make the playoffs? Luis Castillo is an established ace. He went 15-8 with a 3.40 era. He had 226 strike outs with an opponent average of .202. He had an outstanding changeup last year that made batters look silly. If Luis Castillo can continue his brilliant pitching from last year, the Reds will be formidable in the playoffs.
Trevor Bauer
Trevor Bauer is also an established ace. He did have an offseason last year. He did have a complete game last year. In 2018, Bauer had a 2.21 ERA with 221 strikeouts. I believe Bauer will show his dominance in 2020, as watching him and Castillo go back to back some nights will be worth the watch!
Eugenio Suarez and Joey Votto
Eugenio Suarez and Joey Votto are two great players. Joey Votto did not have the best of seasons last year, but is proven to be an elite hitter. Eugenio Suarez hit an astonishing 49 homers, had 103 RBI's, and batted .271. Suarez is a one of the most powerful and underrated players in the MLB today. Suarez however, is coming off a shoulder surgery which may slow him down, but he thinks he can play come opening day.
Aristides Aquino
Aristides Aquino had a monstrous 2019 season after being called up to the show! He hit 19 homers with 47 RBI's, and had 7 stolen bases in 56 games while also batting .259. With all that being said however, Aquino went on a cold streak at the end of the season. Bottom line: he is an insane power hitter who can potentially hit this improved Reds team into the playoffs. Will Suarez and Aquino together hit 75+ homers in 2020?
Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas
Free Agency was huge for the Reds! They picked up Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas on 4-year, $64 million deals each. Castellanos broke out with the Tigers and Cubs by hitting 27 homers, batting .289, and getting 178 hits. Castellanos is a big right handed batter which the Reds have needed. Moustakas is a player who has solid defense and has the ability to hit homers. In 2019, Moustakas hit 35 homers and had 87 RBI's for the Brewers while batting .254. Moustakas also adds even more power to this already loaded Reds lineup.
Shogo Akiyama
Shogo Akiyama is a talented line drive hitter and is known to have some pop in his bat. Akiyama has batted over .295 for five straight seasons with an incredible .359 in 143 games in 2015. Last year, he played 143 games, had 20 homers, batted .303, and stole 12 bases. Akiyama's durability is high, as he played in 130+ games for his seventh consecutive season (not 162 games long). He also had an OBP of .392 and an OPS of .864, with both of these stats being above major league average. Great signing by the Reds as Akiyama would make a great leadoff hitter and is a solid addition to this playoff ready team.
