The Reds were one of the league’s buzziest teams going into the season, with an exciting young lineup that was expected to push the team into contention for the division. Few players followed through on the hype, with Elly De La Cruz breaking through as one of the best young players in the league. The 22-year-old shortstop flashed some immense upside over 98 games in 2023, hitting 13 homers with 35 steals. He followed that up with a .259/.339/.471 slash line with 25 home runs, 105 runs scored, 76 RBI, and led all of baseball with 67 steals across 696 plate appearances. And Tyler Stephenson had a career year, hitting .258/.338/.444 with 19 homers and 66 RBI. Jonathan India was the only other hitter to post above-average numbers, hitting 15 home runs with 13 steals and a .750 OPS. On the pitching side, Hunter Greene flourished as the team’s ace, posting a 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 169 strikeouts across 150 1/3 innings in a breakout season. Nick Martinez proved to be a valuable addition to the pitching staff. The 34-year-old veteran right-hander appeared in 42 games for Cincinnati, 16 as a starter, and posted a 3.10 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across 142 1/3 frames.
One of the 2024 draft season’s biggest mysteries was how playing time would be split among the plethora of young Reds hitters. Noelvi Marte, a popular sleeper pick at third base, cleared things up when he was handed an 80-game PED suspension to start the season. Marte went on to play in 66 games, posting just a .549 OPS with four homers and nine steals. If only things had stopped there. Promising young second baseman Matt McLain missed the entire season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder just before Opening Day. He later suffered a setback in his rehab with a stress reaction in his ribs. Christian Encarnacion-Strand was to be a middle-of-the-order force for the Reds after slugging 13 homers in 63 games for the team in 2023. The 24-year-old first baseman hit just two home runs with a .513 OPS across 123 plate appearances before his season was cut short due to a wrist injury. Jeimer Candelario managed to hit 20 homers while slashing .225/.279/.429 before ending his season on the injured list in August. And Spencer Steer appeared to be on the verge of a breakout season, getting off to a hot start through the first three weeks of the season. While he did hit 20 homers and steal 25 bases, he slashed just .225/.319/.402 on the season. With better injury luck next season, this could still be an offense worth investing in for a bounceback in 2025.
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