The Cincinnati Reds have came out of nowhere this season and are currently sitting atop the NL Central division at 38-35. This young Reds team is on a 9 game-winning streak and is currently the hottest team in all the land.
The Reds have taken the MLB by storm and very unexpectedly at the same time. Not only are they on fire right now, but they are also the youngest team in the National League, headlined by some of their top prospects who are leading the way for them right now.
In a division this season with no clear number one team, the Reds have taken advantage and are trying to assert themselves as that team. The NL Central has totally flipped upside down from this season to last season with the Cardinals who were first last year, dead last this year, and the Reds who were dead last last year, first this year.
We live in a totally different world of baseball than we did a couple of years ago. In this world, we are seeing more and more teams not having to pay as much money to compete with the top dogs. The Reds are one of those teams that are embracing this new style of baseball.
They currently sit with the 25th largest payroll in baseball and have a better record than most of the teams ahead of them in payroll. For the past couple of years, they have been struggling mightily and this year they went with the style of letting the kids play and it has paid off to its fullest extent so far.
The Reds top prospect and one of the top prospects in baseball, Elly De La Cruz, has provided the exact boost that this team has needed. He basically came up from the minor leagues and said I'm running the show, I'm the best player here (which he did kind of say), and so far has lived up to his word, putting the Reds in a fantastic position that they have not been accustomed to in recent years.
At this pace, the Reds will certainly be buyers at the trade deadline and what they most definitely need is better pitching. Statistically, the Reds pitching as a whole is in the bottom five of baseball in team ERA sitting in the high 4's. In the postseason, especially with a young team like the Reds, pitching is going to carry you, so you need ample arms in the rotation that are going to win you ball games.
One bright spot from their pitching staff has been their closer, Alexis Diaz. Diaz is the brother of Edwin Diaz, who was the best reliever in all of baseball a season ago. It seems as if Alexis has inhabited what his brother Edwin does as he has arguably be been the best closer in baseball this season. Having a great bullpen is one thing, but when you have a guy that you can always put on the mound in a tight situation late in a game, that is a huge bonus for this Reds team.
My favorite thing about the Reds actually just happened last night with the return of Joey Votto. Votto, in my eyes, should be the captain of this team. He's one of the few veterans on this team at 39 years old and has played with the Reds ever since he entered the league in 2007. He is what you would call Mr. Red.
Votto had missed the first 72 games of the season recovering from shoulder surgery and at his age, it is definitely a tough thing to come back from. But he did, and in his second at bat of the season, he launched a home run into the right field seats. The guy who has been through a ton of hardships throughout his career with the Reds comes back to the team when they are playing their best and immediately contributes. Joey Votto is the definition of dedication to this Cincinnati Reds ball club.
The Reds are the hottest team in baseball right now and have a chance to extend their winning streak tonight against the Rockies to 10 straight games. They are bringing a new definition of fun to the sport and I hope that this new Big Red Machine can keep it up in Cincinnati.
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