What the Cincinnati Reds 2022 roster looks like entering ’20-21 offseason

Projected Cincinnati Reds 2022 starting rotation (5)

Luis Castillo (RHP), Sonny Gray (RHP), Tyler Mahle (RHP), Nick Lodolo (LHP), Hunter Greene (RHP)

Are you getting excited yet? I thought so. This Reds starting rotation has the potential to be better than the one we saw take the field in 2020. Yes, I know that rotation featured Cy Young-winner Trevor Bauer, but don’t overlook the talents of Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray, both of whom have the potential to make a run at the award over the next few seasons.

Castillo is entering his first arbitration-eligible season following a masterful performance against the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. Castillo will be the team’s ace going forward and his changeup is one of the best in baseball. Cincinnati would do well to lock up their young star before he enters his final year of team-control in 2023.

Gray is no slouch either. Injuries took their toll on the right-hander during the 2020 season, but Gray still managed to pitch in 11 games a recorded 72 strikeouts in just 56 innings of work. Tyler Mahle shined in 2020 and looks to be a significant part of the rotation going forward. Like Castillo, Mahle is entering his first offseason in which he is arbitration-eligible.

Finally, we’ll get to see Hunter Greene make his Reds debut. The No. 2 overall pick in 2017, Greene was saddled with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in 2019. The flamethrower spent time at the Reds alternate site last season and will likely make his big league debut in 2022.

While Nick Lodolo may make his major league debut in 2021, he’ll certainly be part of the rotation in 2022 as well. Cincinnati drafted the southpaw in the first round of the 2019 draft and expects him to move through the team’s minor league system rather quickly.