MLB.com has aggressive prediction for Reds in 2024

The Cincinnati Reds made a 20-game turnaround from 2022 to 2023. Could they push next year's win total by another 10 games? MLB.com believes they can. The Reds were listed among the teams poised to improve by leaps and bounds heading into the 2024 season with MLB.com predicting Cincinnati will improve their win total by double digits.

The Reds did the unthinkable in 2023. After losing 100 games in 2022 and selling off all their top talent, Cincinnati dipped into their farm system on multiple occasions last year. Contributions from the likes of Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Andrew Abbott helped raise the Reds win total from 62 in 2022 to 82 in 2023.

The Reds narrowly missed a playoff berth and were in the hunt until the final week of the season when the starting rotation and bullpen just ran out of gas. Cincinnati has made some nice additions this offseason, adding Jeimer Candelario, Nick Martinez, and Frankie Montas, among others. But will the Reds really win 92 games next season?

Aggressive prediction foresees Reds winning at least 92 games in 2024

MLB.com pointed to several reasons why the Reds could ascend to 92-plus wins during the 2024 campaign. Healthy seasons from Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, free agent upgrades to the starting rotation and the bullpen, and continued development from the young core could push next year's Reds team to at least 92 wins.

But there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to David Bell's team heading into the 2024 season. Will Jonathan India still be part of the group? Does every second-year player on the Reds roster take a step forward? How healthy are Greene, Lodolo, Montas, and others? Will the bullpen be able to duplicate its success from 2023?

The Reds essentially skipped a step in the rebuilding process last season. It's rare to see teams, especially those that don't heavily invest in free agency, improve their win total by 20 games. The Texas Rangers made the biggest jump last season, going from 68-94 to 90-72, but Texas doled out some mega-bucks to top-flight free agents the past two offseasons.

No one in Reds Country is going to complain if Cincinnati goes 92-70 in 2024. Even the Reds' NL Central Championship run in 2010 only saw the team win 91 games. While that team had some youth on it (Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs, and Jay Bruce were all 26 years of age or younger), there was also a slew of veterans that included Scott Rolen, Jonny Gomes, Aaron Harang, and Bronson Arroyo.

Since 2000, the Reds have won over 92 games just once. The 2012 team, who should've defeated the San Francisco Giants during the 2012 NLDS, is the only Reds squad to have won over 92 games this century. Reds fans are hopeful that this year's team can find similar success in the regular season.