The Reds shocked many this summer when the team’s plethora of young hitters made a serious push for the NL Central. However, subpar pitching, injuries, and growing pains from the team’s young stars kept this team outside of the MLB Postseason yet again. Here’s our recap of the 2023 Cincinnati Reds.
Related: 2023 MLB Season Recap: Colorado Rockies
The Offensive Numbers
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 783 | 9th |
| Home Runs | 198 | 14th |
| OPS | .746 | 10th |
| Whiff% | 26.1% | 17th |
| Hard Hit% | 36.5% | 26th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 5.43 | 28th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 4.11 | 16th |
| Strikeouts | 1,381 | 18th |
| Whiff% | 27.5% | 24th |
| Chase% | 25.6% | 19th |
The Good
What a difference a year can make for an offense. Thanks to a slew of fresh faces and strong years from several other Reds, Cincinnati finished in the top ten in runs scored, a far cry from 2022 when the team finished 23rd.
The Reds didn’t have one hitter that carried the team but rather relied on a number of players that helped fill out a rather deep lineup. INF/OF Spencer Steer drilled 23 home runs in his rookie season, while TJ Friedl — who had the second-best OPS (1.154) in the league over the final month (min. 100 PA) — and Jake Fraley both produced in spades.
And, one can’t talk about the Reds without their youngsters. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain, and Elly De La Cruz were all called up from the Minors this year and produced.
McLain posted a .864 OPS for the Reds this season, while Encarnacion-Strand was one of the league’s most impressive hitters over the final month. Encarnacion-Strand posted a .986 OPS in September and blasted eight home runs and ten extra-base hits over 85 plate appearances.
We’ll get into more detail on the pitching in the next section, but the likes of Graham Ashcraft and Andrew Abbott both helped keep the Reds in games in the summer.
Hunter Greene, meanwhile, navigated injury troubles and struck out 152 batters over 112 innings. And, the young righty recorded the 11th-most cumulative whiffs (156) off the slider in the MLB this season.
The Reds bullpen did their job for the most part in 2023, thanks in large part to the success of Alexis Diaz. Diaz turned in an excellent year for the Reds, as he struck out 86 over 67.1 IP, recorded 37 saves, and established himself as an elite closer. Ian Gibaut, Lucas Sims, and Alex Young also proved to be reliable arms.
Unfortunately for the Reds, their bullpen cratered in the final month and posted a 4.83 ERA, which ranked 23rd in the Majors.
The Bad
We already touched on the pitching but as a whole, the Reds didn’t get much from several starters on their staff.
It didn’t help that left-hander Nick Lodolo was hurt for most of 2023. However, the Reds starters put up an ERA of 5.43, which was third-worst in the league. Luke Weaver did not perform well, and the same could be said for Ben Lively.
Another negative from the 2023 campaign was the production of catcher Tyler Stephenson. Stephenson produced strong results in what was an abbreviated 2022 campaign and the hope was that he would be able to stay healthy with more time in the DH slot.
He did log 142 games but the former first-round pick posted a .696 OPS with the Reds this year.
The Reds’ 2023 campaign could have ended with a playoff berth this year. But, a 32-39 second half and pitching problems in the second half not only dropped the Reds out of contention for the NL Central but also an opportunity to make it back to October.
What to Look For in 2024
The Reds have an exciting young core that proved that playoff baseball can return to Cincinnati in the very near future. However, a number of decisions for the Reds loom.
One, how will the Reds handle Joey Votto? The 40-year-old wants to play in 2024 and the Reds do hold a $20M club option for next season. There’s a $7M buyout attached to it, so the Reds could simply take the buyout and opt to re-sign him to a smaller deal.
But, are the Reds willing to do that, given that the team already has a number of capable hitters that can play first?
Also, how will the Reds fortify the pitching staff this fall and winter? This year’s free agency class is littered with starting pitchers and the likes of the Dodgers and Brewers — two teams that needed to navigate major issues with their deep rotations this year — are proof that a team can never have enough pitching depth.
The Reds have a nice crop of young pitchers, but added depth should be a priority given how many injuries took a toll on that staff this year.