Who were the 3 most underrated players from the Cincinnati Reds 2021 season

2. Tony Santillan, Cincinnati Reds pitcher

Tony Santillan may not be starter material (though that has yet to be determined), but the right-hander was an absolute beast once he transitioned to the Cincinnati Reds bullpen. Santillan (1.5 bWAR) was second on the team in bWAR among relievers, with Tejay Antone (2.1 bWAR) leading the way.

Santillan was called up in June and started his first major league game versus the Colorado Rockies. The rookie went 4.2 innings of work and struck out five while allowing four free passes. The right-hander's next outing was at San Diego, and Santillan was pulled early in that affair in favor of a pinch hitter after allowing three runs on four hits.

After two more starts, Tony Santillan was sent to Triple-A Louisville. Not so much because the Texan was struggling, but because the Reds needed reinforcements out of their bullpen. It was assumed that Santillan's fastball/ slider combination could garner an overwhelming amount of swings and misses. That assumption was correct.

When Santillan returned to the Reds in mid-July, he was absolutely dominant in relief. Over 26.2 innings of work, Santillan recorded 36 strikeouts, posting a 12.15 K/9 and a 33.3% strikeout-rate. A 23.1% K-BB is quite impressive.

Tony Santillan was not thought of prior to the 2021 season, and his struggles as a starter are well-documented. But as a reliever, the right-hander was one of the most dominant pitchers out of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen. Santillan could enter the 2022 season as one of David Bell's best options to close out games in the ninth inning.