Hunter Greene's latest award snub is preview of unfair offseason ahead for Reds ace

Amidst the series debacle against the San Francisco Giants this past weekend, something may have slipped past the Cincinnati Reds' fanbase. Major League Baseball announced it's performers of the month for July, and a certain Reds player was not among them.

The NL Pitcher of the Month Award for July went to San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease. And while the Friars' hurler was very deserving of the award, outside of pitching a no-hitter, Greene outplayed Cease in nearly every facet last month.

Cease was 4-2 in six starts with a 2.35 ERA, 2.99 FIP, and 49 punch outs in 38.1 innings pitched. Greene was 2-0 in four starts and struck out 29 batters in 27 innings of work while posting a 0.33 ERA and 2.72 FIP. Opposing batters were only able to muster a .103 batting average against Greene, which was slightly lower than Cease's .143 BAA.

Hunter Greene's latest award snub is preview of unfair offseason ahead for Reds ace

But while Player of the Month Awards are nice, it's the offseason awards that help players establish themselves among the best in the game and assist in building a Hall of Fame career. Those awards include Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Cy Young. Is Greene's latest snub a sign of things to come later this season?

Among qualified starters, Greene ranks among the top-5 in the National League in hits allowed, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and batting average against. The Reds right-hander is among the top-10 in the NL in strikeouts per nine innings pitched, BABIP, home runs allowed, and innings pitched. Greene belongs in the Cy Young conversation. But it still feels as if Greene is receiving little-to-no love from the national media.

The 25-year-old's competition will include the likes of Cease, Chris Sale, Ranger Suarez, Zack Wheeler, Paul Skenes, and Shōta Imanaga. While some have pointed to the Reds' win-loss record this season as a reason to lessen Greene's candidacy, that was never a problem for Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout all those years while the Los Angeles Angels were out of the playoffs. Those two superstars combined for five AL MVPs during that time.

Blake Snell won the NL Cy Young Award last season and the Padres missed the postseason. Sandy Alcantara took home the award in 2022 while the Miami Marlins were 69-93. Wins and losses mean nothing when it comes to postseason awards.

If Greene's August performance can match that of his July, then the Reds starter has a real shot at taking home the 2024 NL Cy Young Award. Greene's six inning performance versus the San Francisco Giants last weekend was quite impressive, and could push him to the forefront of the conversation if those type of outings continue to pile up.

But keep your eye on MLB's darling. Skenes could receive that boost from the national media that will move him ahead of Greene. Fair or not, that could very well be Greene's fate this offseason.

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