Let’s take a look at last season for the 2024 Cincinnati Reds, the questions the team must answer this winter, and the outlook for 2025.
Read more: 2024 MLB Season Preview: What’s in Store for the White Sox, A’s, Pirates, and More?
Things that went well
Throughout the season, Elly De La Cruz captured the imagination of Reds fans. Sure, the shortstop strikes out as often as anyone in baseball, but magical things happen when he puts the ball in play, thanks to his plus power skills and spectacular speed. De La Cruz walked away with this year’s stolen base crown, reaching base more than many expected. He will be a joy to watch for years to come.
Hunter Greene may not have matched De La Cruz in terms of headlines, but his emergence as a budding staff ace was a major development for Cincinnati this year. The hard-throwing righty honed his ability to limit hard contact and keep the ball in the yard, and he already possessed tremendous strikeout skills.
Things that went wrong
Overall, a lot went wrong for a team that was supposed to be contending for the postseason. Several exciting young hitters had disappointing years. Perhaps no player was more frustrated than Matt McLain, who was expected to play a central role in the lineup before undergoing shoulder surgery and missing the entire season.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand had similar expectations but fared little better, playing poorly in 29 games before his season ended with a broken right hand that required surgery. Noelvi Marte was another young hitter who let the team down, as he was suspended for the first 80 games of the season and had little impact in the second half.
A couple of veteran outfielders also failed to live up to expectations. TJ Friedl had three IL stints in the first half due to unrelated injuries and didn’t make much of an impact in the end. Meanwhile, Jake Fraley’s power completely evaporated.
Expectations weren’t as high on the pitching side, but there were still some disappointments. Nick Lodolo couldn’t replicate Greene’s step forward, which isn’t surprising for someone who’s logged four stints on the IL. In the bullpen, Alexis Díaz took a turn for the worse with his strikeout and walk rates, as he dealt with a declining fastball velocity for the second straight year.
Plans for the low season
The Reds have enough pieces to get back on track quickly. The infield is especially deep. De La Cruz is at shortstop, and the combination of McLain, Marte, Jonathan India and Jeimer Candelario could cover the other three spots. Spencer Steer is also an option at first base. India was a hot name on the trade market last winter, but the team may want to keep him around given the uncertainty surrounding McLain and Marte. Tyler Stephenson has the team covered behind the plate after making improvements offensively and defensively this year.
Cincinnati has enough outfielders in Steer, Friedl, Fraley and Will Benson, but could be looking to improve. Steer isn’t the problem, as he’s been one of the team’s best hitters this season. Friedl has enough toughness to remain the center fielder. Fraley and Benson are both left-handed hitters who perform best against righties. It would make sense to trade one of them, even if the return is modest.
There are plenty of options in the rotation, but many of them remained on the IL in the latter stages of the rotation. Greene struggled with elbow soreness late in the season, but he’s still expected to be the team’s ace. Lodolo has struggled with injuries throughout his three-year career, but fortunately none of his ailments were long-term concerns in 2024. Andrew Abbott struggled with a shoulder injury late in the season, but he can be counted on as a mid-rotation starter. Graham Ashcraft, who missed the second half with an elbow injury, and Carson Spiers could round out the rotation.
There are also a number of prospects who could contribute next year. But overall, the talent in the rotation lags behind the position players, making it a good idea for the team to add a starter via trade or free agency.
As for relievers, the Reds bullpen ranked in the middle of the pack in 2024 in terms of ERA, which is even more impressive when you consider that Díaz left the Reds as their anchor. Díaz will likely still open 2025 as the closer, but the front office would be wise to add a setup man who can take over the ninth inning if needed.
Prospects on the horizon
Cincinnati has a solid farm system, but most of its top-ranked youngsters are still a few years away. Still, there are a few who could contribute next year. And the good news is that immediate help is coming where the team needs it most: on the mound.
Rhett Lowder, the seventh overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, is the team’s most anticipated prospect. The 22-year-old enjoyed great success in his first minor-league season and made his Reds debut late that season. He could be part of the 2025 Opening Day rotation.
Lowder will eventually be joined by Chase Petty, who was drafted in the first round out of high school in 2021. Petty didn’t thrive in Double-A this year and will need to show improvement in 2025 before (hopefully) joining the Reds this summer. Julian Aguiar is another rotation hopeful. Like Lowder, he debuted with the Reds in late 2024, but Aguiar has struggled early on and likely needs more time in Triple-A.
The Reds’ most notable prospect, Chase Burns, is expected to debut in 2026. Drafted second overall in 2024, Burns can reach over 100 mph with his fastball. He pitched for Tennessee in the 2023 College World Series before transferring to Wake Forest for the 2024 season.
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Goals for 2025
The Reds should make the expected move this year, reaching the postseason in a 162-game season for the first time since 2013. The pieces are in place for a quality offense, and the group would look even better with the addition of an outfielder.
Still, this team will only go so far as the pitching takes it, and there are so many questions in that department. If management adds some veteran arms and some young pitchers show improvement, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Reds could win the NL Central in 2025.
Fantasy focus
De La Cruz will be a first-round pick in every 2025 fantasy draft and could go first overall in a few leagues. Steer and Stephenson will be solid middle-round picks, and McLain will be a boom-or-bust option in the same draft range.
Greene will be a sought-after hurler who will be a No. 3 starter on mixed-league teams. Other pitchers, such as Lodolo and Díaz, will be late-round options who could really pay off.
