5 bold predictions for the Cincinnati Reds 2024 season

Reds send five players to the All-Star Game

The talent is there. We've been touting it all offseason. The Cincinnati Reds are one of the youngest teams in all of Major League Baseball and most of players have at least some measure of big league experience heading into 2024.

Five is a big number, but last year, the Texas Rangers sent five players to the All-Star Game, as did the Toronto Blue Jays. On the NL side, the Atlanta Braves had eight players named to the All-Star squad, while the Los Angeles Dodgers had five of their own.

The trick, however, when it comes to All-Star voting, is the fans. Do the Reds have enough pull, being a small market team, to reel in enough fans to push a couple players into the starting lineup. In 2021, Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos did enough to grab starting spots. Those top vote-getters typically are electric, charismatic players with a flair for the dramatic. Sound like someone you know?

If Elly De La Cruz plays up to his potential, the Reds shortstop will be in the mix for a spot on the NL All-Star roster. Players like Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who possess big-time power, also tend to excite baseball fans. A big first-half for the Cincinnati slugger could see him participate in the Midsummer Classic as well.

A few other names to keep an eye on will be infielders Matt McLain and Noelvi Marte, and pitchers Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Alexis Diaz. The Reds have the talent to send five players to the 2024 All-Star Game in Arlington, but the young players will have to play up to their potential in order to receive the accolades.