Cincinnati Reds: Five bold predictions for the 2020 season

5. The Reds will win the NL Central by six games.

Okay, I think most fans would pick Cincinnati to win the NL Central. You wouldn’t be called a fan if you thought otherwise, right? After all, the Reds have their best grouping of talented players since the 2012 season. But six games? That’s an awful wide margin during a 60-game season. The St. Louis Cardinals only bested the Milwaukee Brewers by two games last season.

That’s the confidence I have in this year’s team. Dick Williams and Nick Krall have been assembling this team since last July, and you could argue even earlier. The trade for Trevor Bauer signaled one thing; the Cincinnati Reds were going all-in during the 2020 season.

This offseason confirmed as much with the additions of Mike Moustakas, Shogo Akiyama and Wade Miley. The Reds could’ve rested on their laurels, been happy with the development of the starting pitching and hoped for the hitting to catch up. Nope, the Reds front office put its money where its mouth is and signed some big-name free agents last winter.

The addition of Nick Castellanos was a shocking signing to me. After having divvied out $100M to three free agents, Bob Castellini opened up his wallet and brought a difference-maker to the Queen City. Castellanos has the chance to be Cincinnati’s second-best player behind Eugenio Suárez.

The starting pitching is the team’s strength, but now the Reds have an offense to match any team in the NL Central. While the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals sat idle, the Cincinnati Reds hit the gas. In my opinion, Cincinnati’s only true competition in the NL Central are the Milwaukee Brewers.

While fans are unlikely to grab a seat at Great American Ball Park this season, I’m sure the ratings for Fox Sports Ohio will be through the roof as Reds Country tunes in on a nightly basis to cheer on their Redlegs. I think Cincinnati will dominate the competition this season and bring home the NL Central Division title.