Cincinnati Reds: Three players who will outperform their 2020 projections

Every sports-related website has predictions of how well players will perform. Which three Cincinnati Reds players will outperform their projections?

There are some pretty heavy expectations heaped onto the shoulders of the Cincinnati Reds. A lot of pundits, experts and fans expect the Redlegs to, at the very least, contend for the NL Central Division title. Many sports-related websites project how well certain players will perform during the upcoming season. Which three Reds will outperform those projections?

Sonny Gray, Robert Stephenson and José Iglesias certainly outperformed expectations last season. Gray, after being traded from the New York Yankees, went to the All-Star Game, while Stephenson found a home in the Reds bullpen and Iglesias put up terrific numbers at the dish while also wowing fans with dazzling defense in the field.

Several factors go into projecting how good or bad a player will perform. How well did said player perform last year? Are they trending up or trending down? Is a new addition likely to steal away playing time? These and other questions have a profound impact on the projections for each major league player.

Every year, ESPN.com projects how well they think every major league player will perform. Using that website as a guide, we’ve selected three players on the Reds roster who are most likely to outperform expectations and help Cincinnati in its pursuit of their first division crown since 2012.