The NL Central is one of two MLB divisions (also AL East) with four winning teams as the 2nd half opens. Are Cincinnati Reds on the rise?
ATLANTA – The Cincinnati Reds haven’t exactly been scaring anybody in the National League Central this season the way they’ve played so far.
But the rivals seem to be paying attention to Terry Francona’s underfunded, would-be overachievers as they opened their post-break schedule in shouting distance of the playoff picture.
“Cincy’s one of those teams that I’m honestly excited to see,” Chicago Cubs All-Star Pete Crow-Armstrong said, “a team that could really go on a tear.
“Mean, their rotation’s really good,” he said. “I’m not in that clubhouse every day, so I don’t know what they need to take the next step. But I think that ballclub could really make some noise.”
The Reds came out of the All-Star break in fourth place, trailing the first-place Cubs by 7 1/2 games. The surging Milwaukee Brewers were just one game back and in the top wild-card position. And the surprising St. Louis Cardinals were in third, a game ahead of the Reds.
It’s the only division in the National League – one of two in MLB – that has four teams with winning records. So much for all that baseball power on the coasts and the West and East divisions that were supposed to shut the Central out of the wild-card race.
“We have one of the best divisions in baseball,” Cubs pitcher Matt Boyd said. “The records even say that right now. So it’s going to be a fight.”
And, said Reds All-Star pitcher Andrew Abbott: “We’re still in the fight.”
The only thing holding the Reds back from being in the thick of the division race so far is those other teams in the division. They’re 7-13 against those clubs, having won just one of eight series against NL Central rivals. They’re 43-34 (.558) against everyone else.
“The Central is impressive, thinking about the pitching coming through the Central right now,” said Cardinals All-Star Brendan Donovan, one of four hitters who made the All-Star team from the division.
Six pitchers did, including at least one from four different teams.
“Look at the pitching in the division. It’s hard to hit,” Donovan added, singling out the Reds’ staff.
“Cincinnati has really good pitching. I feel like they call up another guy every year who has really good stuff.”
Wait till the Cardinals see Chase Burns.
“You can’t sleep on them,” Brewers All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta said. “Because they have some guys over there like Elly (De La Cruz), guys that run really well. They can do damage quick.
“You cannot sleep on them because they can score three or four runs against you in one inning really easy,” Peralta added.
The Brewers have won five of seven against the Reds so far this season, and 42 of the last 58 going back to late in the 2021 season.
But with that starting pitching and Hall of Fame-bound manager Terry Francona at the helm for the first time, even those Brewers are keeping their eye on keeping the Reds in the rear-view.
“The Reds are playing well, and everybody else seems to be playing pretty good baseball,” Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill said. “They’ve got good players, young core. They’ve got Emilio (Pagán) on the back end (of the bullpen). He’s been shoving this year. That’s a team you can never sleep on. I mean, they’ve just got so many guys that can hit, run and do things well.”
And they have a manager whose teams historically get better in the second half. That's been especially true of his first seasons everywhere he's been: Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland before this.
In 1997, 2004 and 2013 – his first seasons in those three stops – his teams collectively went 123-143 (.462) in the first half and 135-85 (.614) after the All-Star break.
“Never count them out," Peralta said. "Because they’re going to be there, playing hard.”
The Reds have two more series each against all four division opponents. They’ll see each once next month and then face each in consecutive series the final 13 games of the season.
Meanwhile, they have a lot of business to take care of this week and then in the final days leading to the July 31 trade deadline – when a difference maker in this race might land in any of three or four NL Central locales.
“It’s probably going to come down to a game or two at the end of the year,” Megill said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Can't sleep on them': What NL Central rivals say about Cincinnati Reds
Category: Baseball
