5 Cincinnati Reds who will outperform their 2022 ZiPS projections

5. Luis Cessa, Cincinnati Reds reliever

With Tejay Antone sidelined for the 2022 season following Tommy John surgery, every Reds fans (myself included) is looking for who will step up and become Cincinnati's bullpen ace during the upcoming season. Luis Cessa should be near the top of everyone's list.

Per ZiPS projections, the right-hander is expected to post a 4.41 ERA, 21.9% strikeout-rate, and be worth 0.5 fWAR in 2022. I'm sorry, but that seems incredibly low; especially considering how well Cessa pitched once he joined the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline.

The New York Yankees shipped Cessa and left-hander Justin Wilson to the Queen City last July. Both pitchers played well during the second-half of the 2021 season, but Cessa really shined. The one stat that stuck out to me was his 2.0% walk-rate. Cessa issued just two free passes in his 24 appearances out of the Reds bullpen.

That is a staggering statistic, and one that he'll be hard-pressed to duplicate. But, if Cessa can keep the base paths clear of free runners, he can continue to keep the ball low in the zone and allow his defense to do their job and field ground balls behind him.

Luis Cessa isn't overly impressive with his velocity, like Lucas Sims, but the right-hander picks his spots and can locate his pitches very well. Look for Cessa to be one of the better relievers in the Reds pen during the upcoming season.