Reds: 5 bold predictions for the second-half of the 2021 MLB season

1. Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos wins the NL batting title.

There’s a good chance that Nick Castellanos could be battling it out with his teammate, Jesse Winker, for the National League batting title. In the end, I expect Nick to get it done. Only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays has a higher batting average in all of baseball, and the Pirates’ Adam Frazier is Castellanos’ closest competition in the NL.

Castellanos currently leads the National League with a .331 batting average. Frazier is hot on his tail, hitting .330 during the first-half of the season. Frazier, however, could very easily find his way out of the National League prior to the trade deadline, as the Pirates’ second baseman is bound to have some trade interest.

Removing Frazier from the NL all together would certainly improve Castellanos’ chances, as the second-closest competition behind Frazier is Nationals’ shortstop Trea Turner who’s currently hitting .318.

Nick Castellanos will definitely have to earn the batting title, but if the first-half of the 2021 season is any indication, I’m pretty sure he’s not going to have any problem meeting that challenge head-on. Castellanos has arguably been the Reds’ most clutch hitter all season, and while Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 28 homers are 10 better than Castellanos’, the triple-crown is still in play.

Castellanos can opt out of his contact with the Reds after the season. Seeing as how he’s shown himself to be one of the best hitters in baseball, that $32M he’s owed over the next two seasons could easily look more like $50M. Castellanos has every reason on the planet to continue to produce; both to help his team win and to boost his earning potential this offseason.