After four straight last-place finishes by the Reds, Cincinnatus remains a fan, and the same goes for the living, moving fans who will pack Great American Ball Park for the 2019 season opener.
Hope always lives on Opening Day, and this year, there's more hope than normal. The Reds hired a new manager in October: David Bell, a Moeller High School graduate who's the son and grandson of Reds. They then made flurry of trades in December and January to raise expectations for a franchise that hasn't topped 70 victories since 2014 or had a winning season since 2013. The players share the enthusiasm.
"I'm excited about all of the guys," Reds first baseman Joey Votto said in February. "There are so many new faces. I was telling some guys I'm excited to hit and learn and compete with guys on my team. I'm excited about playing behind some of the new pitching staff … I think this feels like a completely different camp because I think we have a legitimate shot at winning the division this year."
To do that, here are five things that have to happen for the Reds:
1. They need their new starters to thrive: Reds starters had the second-worst ERA (5.02) in the National League last season. Of the six pitchers who started at least 20 games, none had an ERA better than 4.30. That was Luis Castillo, who will throw the first pitch of the season at 4:10 p.m. Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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To provide a jolt for the struggling staff, the Reds traded for three experienced starters. Two of them, Sonny Gray and Tanner Roark, will start the second and third games. The third, Alex Wood, will begin the season on the disabled list because of back pain and could return to action by mid-April.
"Our primary goal this offseason was to address starting pitching, and we feel we've made some very good strides in that direction," said Dick Williams, president of baseball operations, in January.
2. They need to hit more home runs: They ranked ninth in the league with 172 last season, well behind the National League Central Division champion Milwaukee Brewers, who ranked second with 218.
Adding Yasiel Puig (23 home runs) and Matt Kemp (21) from the Dodgers in the trade that also brought Wood to Cincinnati should help.
3. They need a good start: Last season was over almost as soon as it began. The Reds were 3-15 when they fired Bryan Price in April and then lost their first three games under interim manager Jim Riggleman. It was their worst start since 1931.
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The Reds haven’t had a winning record in April since 2013, the last time they reached the postseason. They started 15-13 that season and finished 90-72, winning the second National League Wild Card.
4. They have to win division games: One stumbling block for the Reds is the strength of their division. They might be better, but it might not be enough to pass the Brewers, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Pirates — or at least enough of those teams to reach the playoffs. Nine teams in the National League finished above .500, and four of them came from the Central.
The Brewers, Cubs and Cardinals all ranked among the top 11 teams in baseball in a preseason power ranking by ESPN. The Reds were 26-50 against their own division last season, and their worst record (5-14) was against the fourth-place Pirates.
5. They need similar production from their infielders: Three quarters of the Reds infield made the all-star team in 2018: Votto, second baseman Scooter Gennett and third baseman Eugenio Suarez. Shortstop Jose Peraza played near an all-star level all season as well, raising his average from .259 to 288 and more than doubling his home runs from 2017 (5 to 14).
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Gennett will start the season on the disabled list and miss two to three months after suffering a groin injury last week. With Gennett out, Peraza will move to second base, and free-agent acquisition Jose Iglesias will start at shortstop.
“It is important to have depth,” Bell said in spring training. “We have to be as strong as we can with all 12 guys who make the team as position players.”
THURSDAY’S GAME
Pirates at Reds, 4:10 p.m., FS Ohio, 700, 1410
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