Cincinnati Reds: Predicting the 30-man roster to begin 2020 season

The Cincinnati Reds need to whittle their roster down to 30 players by Opening Day.

The 2020 baseball season will look vastly different from what we’re used to. The designated hitter will find a home in both the American and National Leagues for the first time ever. If a game goes to extra innings, each team will start with a runner already on second base. However, the most interesting aspect from the fans’ perspective is who will make the Cincinnati Reds 30-man roster.

Heading into the 2020 season, teams were looking to expand rosters from 25 to 26 players, but the coronavirus pandemic has caused Major League Baseball to add a few more spots; at least for the first few weeks. With an abbreviated summer camp, the added roster space will help teams avoid injury by having a few more players at the managers’ disposal.

The expanded rosters will definitely help unclog the Reds backlog of talented outfielders. After signing Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos during the offseason, playing time in Cincinnati’s outfield was going to be at a premium. The universal DH will help alleviate that problem as well.

So, who’s in and who’s out? What’s going to be the tightest position battle? Who’s a lock to make the team? Which top prospects may find their way onto the roster? Let’s see if we can answer these questions and more as we check out our 30-man roster prediction for the Cincinnati Reds 2020 season.