With opening day right around the corner, false hope is starting to creep into the hearts of all Cincinnati Reds fans. Every year the city gets excited for their holiday, opening day. Citizens begin lining the streets of the banks around 9 A.M. for the opening day parade and preparing for what will most likely be the only sell out game of the year. The energy in the city on opening day is unlike any other; fans are desperate to see the oldest team in baseball win a championship and talk themselves into thinking they can do it every year.

While Reds fans hold this hope on the outside, deep down they know this won’t be the year. However, any fan that has been following this team through spring training can see why it is plausible that they will exceed national expectations.

ESPN is projecting the Redlegs to finish the season in last place in the NL central, at 70 wins, which would be 8 more than last year. However, the abundance of young talent on this roster suggests a slightly better season that national media outlets are expecting.

The Rotation:

Hunter Greene has been named the ace, followed by Nick Lodolo, Graham Ashcraft, Luis Cessa, and Connor Overton. We are seeing an updated rotation compared to last years, with some prospects sure to take over some of these roles later in the season. Brandon Williamson, who tore up every opportunity he got in spring training was unfortunately sent to start the season in triple A. It would not be surprising to see Cessa make a move to the bullpen, with Williamson replacing him in the lineup. This rotation has a legit chance to have three star pitchers and possibly four if Williamson gets called up.

The Infield:

Joey Votto is starting the season on a rehab stint, so we will likely see Wil Myers making the start at first base. Other than that, the Reds are very deep in the infield, with likely starters being, Johnathan India at second base, Jose Barrero at shortstop, Spencer Steer at third base, and Tyler Stephenson behind the plate. This is a very young infield with huge potential. India being a former rookie of the year is looking to bounce back from an injury ridden season in 2022. India looked really good in spring training and almost looks to be back to his old self. Barrero has had a couple of stints in the majors but will look to make this one stick. Kevin Newman will backup Barrero, and even challenge him for the starting job. Steer will be backed up by Matt Reynolds, but if he plays like he did last year, Steer will be here to stay for a while. Stephenson has played at an All-Star level every year in the majors, but has always been set back by injuries. Manager David Bell announced a plan to only have Stephenson catch 60ish games to help keep him out of these injuries. As part of this plan Stephenson will play first base and be the designated hitter (DH) in other games. The Reds also signed Curt Casali to back up Stephenson and catch the games he won’t be available for.

The Outfield:

With Nick Senzel starting the season injured, and Wil Myers likely to fill in for Votto, spots open in the outfield for T.J. Friedl and Will Benson. A likely starting outfield for Cincinnati looks like some combination of Friedl, Benson, and Jake Fraley. Friedl has made multiple stints with the club, and especially looked good last year. Benson is new to the team, and absolutely tore it up in spring training. Fraley has been very open about reigniting his love for the game in Cincinnati; he played well last season and quickly captured fans hearts. Fraley looked like an entirely differently player during spring ball and has everyone’s expectations set high for this season.

The Bullpen:

There is all kinds of uncertainty with the bullpen because of injuries. However, a healthy bullpen would include Lucas Sims, Alexis Diaz, Tejay Antone, Ian Gibaut, Buck Farmer, Tony Santillan, Reiver Sanmartin, and Vladimir Gutierrez. Everyone knows how great of a closer Alexis Diaz is, and an 8th-9th inning punch out of Lucas Sims, followed by Diaz could be absolutely filthy.

The Farm:

Breakout stars, Elly de la Cruz, and Christian Encarnacion Strand will start the season in Triple A Lousiville, but will ultimately end up on the team at some point in the season. Other notable players in the farm system include: Stuart Fairchild, who has been called up from time to time, as well as Brandon Williamson, who was mentioned earlier. This farm system is ranked number 5 in all of baseball and has some serious talent that could turn this organization around.

Bold Prediction:

Jake “Rake” Fraley has a career year, with a batting average of .310, and becomes an All-Star starter. Another bold prediction: Joey Votto has a huge bounce back year as the Reds miss the wild card by two games, causing Votto to return for one more season before calling it a career.

Season Prediction:

The 2023 Cincinnati Reds will go 80-82, finishing third in the NL Central behind the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds will be in the playoff race up until the final two weeks, where they ultimately fall short, while exceeding fans expectations and giving hope for the 2024 season.