The Cincinnati Reds are coming off the dreaded 100-loss season. This year has started differently. The Reds have been playing some good baseball as of late. A recent five-game road win streak turned south for four games as they made their way back home to Cincinnati. They come back and win three in a row, including the first two from the Los Angeles Dodgers. They ran into Clayton Kershaw for the possible sweep, but he said not today to them. The Reds just took two out of three in St. Louis to finish up the week at 5-2.
Powerful and Fast
Elly De La Cruz is a 6’5” phenom in the making. He is batting .364 through his first six games in the MLB. He has the fastest speed of anyone in the Major Leagues this year. Recently, he called himself “the fastest man on earth.” De La Cruz launched a 458-foot home run in just his second Major League game, showing off his power. This could be just what the Reds need to make them a force in the NL. The Reds are 4-2 since they brought him up from the minors last Tuesday. His spectacular speed helped secure the win in the rubber match against the Cardinals on Sunday.
Not much separates the playoff contenders as of now in the NL. The Reds are currently 31-35. That is a fantastic rebound from a 100-loss year in ’22. Cincinnati sits just three games out of wild-card contention. A decent run into the All-Star break could set the Reds in the right direction to grab a playoff spot. At the very least, it could give them good hope for the ’24 season.
The Baltimore Orioles
The 2022 Baltimore Orioles had a similar season to what the Reds look to be having this year. They called up prospect Adley Rutschman from the minors in late May. The ’22 Orioles finished the first week in June at 10 games under .500 before reaching it at the All-Star break. They would finish the season at 83-79 in the tough AL East, which was a huge accomplishment for the organization. The 2023 Orioles sit 17 games over .500 and have not shown signs of letting up.
De La Cruz could be just what the Cincinnati Reds need to get them over the .500 hump. The Orioles had new life with the promotion of a star minor leaguer. The Reds look like they are following the same path and may just be capable of turning the 100-loss season from ’22 into a possible playoff contender in ‘23
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