3 Reds players who were the biggest surprises of the 2024 season

The Cincinnati Reds’ 2024 season was full of surprises. Unfortunately, most of those were negative. The Reds offense sputtered, the pitching staff suffered far too many injuries, and ultimately David Bell lost his job.

Still, to stave off the long, depressing, baseball-less winter, one must consider the silver lining. From midseason pickups, to flashy rookies, to everyday workmen, this year’s roster had quite a few hidden highlights.

Tyler Stephenson, Reds catcher

The Reds clearly expect Stephenson to be the catcher of the future, but the .696 OPS he posted last season didn’t get the job done. Cue a breakout 2024. Maybe it’s the “dad strength,” but the former first-round pick finally returned to the form that earned him Rookie of the Year votes in 2021.

Aside from Elly De La Cruz, no other Reds batter provided as much pop and consistency as Stephenson. He also worked on his eye, walking a career-high 48 times. His durability should also be noted. After missing most of 2022 with a trio of injuries, he has logged 280 games in the past two years.

Stephenson finished the season with the third-best OPS among Major League catchers. His defensive skills could use more polish, but he could develop into one of the premier players at the position in the next few years. The Reds could , and probably should, reward Stephenson’s terrific season with contract extension this offseason.

Jakob Junis, Reds pitcher

The Reds picked up Jacob Junis from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Frankie Montas trade, and boy, did that pay off. In five fewer appearances, Junis tallied twice as many WAR (1.2) than Montas (0.6) had with Cincinnati. Junis rattled off five straight scoreless outings during the dog days of August.

Junis, who began his career as a starter before transitioning to the bullpen with the San Francisco Giants, successfully stepped into the rotation toward the end of the season. He posted a 1.71 ERA in his final four starts.

Unfortunately, the Reds were unable to back him, and he is still looking for his first win with Cincinnati. His contract has a mutual option for 2025, and he could be a useful asset in both the rotation and bullpen picture for next year.

Rhett Lowder, Reds pitcher

It’s hard to exceed expectations when you’re already the top prospect in the farm system. But the fact that Rhett Lowder not only went from college to the majors in a single year but did so by vaulting from Double-A to the big leagues with only a single appearance at Triple-A is remarkable. Since then, he’s done nothing but shut down major leaguers.

Four of Lowder’s six big league outings were scoreless, and he showed improved control in the waning weeks. After walking four batters in each of his first two starts, he walked just six in his final four performances.

Lowder will likely always be linked to Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, his collegiate rival, and the stats from their first six starts in the majors are quite similar. Lowder allowed fewer runs and was less susceptible to homers while Skenes held the edge in FIP and opponents’ batting average. If Lowder produces anything similar to Skenes’s output over a whole season, the Reds and Pirates rivalry will be rocking for years to come.

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