3 Reds players who've disappointed through the first 20 games, and 2 who've exceeded expectations

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl
Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl | Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages
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Reds pitcher Hunter Greene has disappointed through the first 20 games.

Hunter Greene got paid! The Cincinnati Reds made the six-year commitment to the former No. 2 overall pick and Greene will now earn at least $53-million over the next six seasons. Debate if you'd like, but if Greene plays up to his potential, this could be a steal of a deal for the Reds.

That said, Greene has been underwhelming to begin his sophomore campaign. The Reds recently had to call up one of their top pitching prospects while Greene is recovering from a comebacker that struck him in the lower leg on Monday night. He's scheduled to make his next start on Sunday against the Pirates.

Let's hope his next start goes better than his first one went against the Buccos. On Opening Day, Greene made it through just 3.1 innings of work and allowed three runs on five hits while walking three. He did have eight punch outs, so it wasn't all bad.

But with this new contract comes a bigger magnifying glass. Greene was already under constant scrutiny due to his talent and high draft position. That noise is only going to get louder as there will be increased expectations.

Hunter Greene can handle it. Too often it gets forgotten that he's only 23 years old and missed two years in the minors because Tommy John surgery and the coronavirus pandemic. If Greene can gain better command of his fastball and continue to develop and trust that changeup, the right-hander has superstar written all over him.

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