Cincinnati Reds: Five bold predictions for the MLB Playoffs

4. Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez crushes six home runs.

Obviously this prediction merits the Reds make it out of the Wild Card round, right? I fully expect Cincinnati to defeat Atlanta and move onto the NLDS where they’d play either the Chicago Cubs or Miami Marlins. Suárez has been heating up of late, hitting two runs and eight RBIs in his last seven games.

The only Reds hitter who’s hotter than Suárez is Mike Moustakas, and that will play to Geno’s advantage. Moose has blasted three round-trippers in the last six games and also has seven RBIs. With Suárez hitting in front of Moustakas in the batting order, he’s likely to see several pitches to hit. The last thing opposing pitchers will want to do is walk Suárez ahead of Moustakas.

Geno was second in the league last season with 49 home runs, and broke the record for most home runs in a season by a Venezuelan-born player. When Eugenio Suárez gets locked in, the balls leave the yard in bunches. Suárez already has a game this season in which he launched three balls into the seats.

Hopefully, a few of those home runs will come with runners on base. Suárez leads the club with 38 RBIs, and with Joey Votto now back in the No. 3 hole, it’s more likely Geno will be hitting with runners on base. Six home runs is pretty ambitious though. Just how far will the Reds go in the MLB Playoffs? That’s a great question.