The Most Exciting Team in Baseball Will Not Make the Playoffs (again)
The rare blend of speed and power makes all of their MLB games fun to watch.
The Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of a frustrating season that will likely result in the team missing the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 years. The primary reason for keeping an eye on the Reds is the electric play of star shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who continues to set franchise and league records. But the Reds are a rare blend of speed and power from the top to bottom of their lineup, making them one of the most exciting teams in baseball to watch.
The Reds Have the Playoff Blues
There’s no better evidence of the ups and downs of the season than their record around the All-Star Break. Just before the break, they entered New York and swept the series with the powerful Yankees. Then they turned around and were swept by the struggling Washington Nationals.
They were swept by the lowly Detroit Tigers coming out of the break, but they turned around and swept the play-off-bound Atlanta Braves in the next series.
In dramatic style, the Reds are 8–8 in their last 16 games.
The Reds Are Exciting
The Reds are considered one of the most exciting teams in baseball because of their young talent, aggressive base running, power hitting, and unbelievable defense. No team in major league baseball can match their speed at every position combined with the ability to hit home runs.
Shortstop Elly De La Cruz is the most dynamic player in baseball. Pitcher Hunter Greene and 2022 Rookie of the Year Jonathan India dominate their positions. Catcher Tyler Stephenson is having the best year of his career. Even Triple-A players like Rece Hinds break major league records when called up to the big team.
The Reds Have Issues
Despite the speed and power, Cincinnati’s offense has been lacking and stalled in the bottom half of major league baseball. Inconsistent performance from the batting lineup and the pitching staff has led to losing streaks. On the mound, the Reds also lack a consistent closer, or at least one who doesn’t make blowing leads an exciting affair.
Overall, the Reds are a small market team that tries to blame some of their issues on being in a player development mode. The truth is that the Reds can’t afford to pay the big names, so they are built on younger players who can be put under contract for 4 or 5 years.
A Unique Combination of Excitement and Frustration
The Reds are playing out another average season that will likely see them miss the playoffs. There’s still hope, but inconsistent play will keep the Reds from leapfrogging five teams ahead of them. That’s a shame. The Reds are the most exciting team in baseball to watch.
JD Solomon is the founder of JD Solomon, Inc., the creator of the FINESSE fishbone diagram®, and the co-creator of the SOAP criticality method. He is the author of Communicating Reliability, Risk & Resiliency to Decision Makers: How to Get Your Boss’s Boss to Understand and Facilitating with FINESSE: A Guide to Successful Business Solutions.
