Cincinnati Reds: 3 players on the hot seat heading into the 2021 season

Which three Reds players are on the hot seat this season?

Competition breeds success. You’ve heard that before, right? There’s been plenty of competition this spring in Goodyear, Arizona. The Cincinnati Reds are looking to return to the postseason after failing to score run in last year’s Wild Card Series versus the Atlanta Braves. There are a few players who are feeling the Arizona heat this spring and need to perform well in 2021.

Last season was an oddity. Seven-inning double headers (which will return this season), a 60-game regular season, an expanded playoff, alternate sites, and an abbreviated spring training. While the 2020 season still counted, I’m willing to give the players the benefit of the doubt. With so much uncertainty and irregularity, it’s hard to hold any player to their normally lofty standards.

However, as the 2021 season is set to get underway, the players will not be given the same leeway. Though the Reds returned to the postseason for the first time since 2013, it was as the No. 7 seed in the National League and were promptly swept in two games without scratching across a run.

Expectations may not be elevated, but fans still expect Cincinnati to compete for the division crown. Neither the Chicago Cubs or St. Louis Cardinals made great additions to their teams this offseason, and while the Brewers are hoping a bounce-back performance from Christian Yelich will put them in the NL Central driver’s seat, Milwaukee finished 2020 with a below-.500 record.

Last season, many fans placed Joey Votto on the hot seat, hoping the former MVP would return to form, but instead the six-time All-Star struggled early and was benched midway through the season. Votto bounced back in the second half of the season, and looks ready to lead the team this season. Who are the three Reds players squarely on the hot seat as the 2021 campaign is set to commence?