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

We're now 20 games into the 2023 season and the Cincinnati Reds have at least surpassed three victories. That's something that Reds Country could not have said at this time last year.

While there have been some disappointing moments so far in 2023, such as getting curb-stomped by the Tampa Bay Rays in two out of three games earlier this week, there've been some bright spots as well. The Reds absolutely battered the defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies 13-0 earlier this season.

So, it's been a mixture of disappointment and success through the first 20 games of the season. Let's look at three Reds players who've been a disappointment thus far and two players who've exceeded expectations through the first three-plus weeks of the 2023 season.

Reds pitcher Luis Cessa has disappointed through the first 20 games.

There are some fans that will say, "I told you so," but it really felt as though Luis Cessa would at least be a competent starting pitcher to begin the season. At the very least, David Bell was hoping that Cessa would be stopgap option until some of the younger pitchers were ready for The Show.

That couldn't be further from the truth, and despite his horrific outing last week, Bell will still hand the ball off to Cessa today against the Pittsburgh Pirates. If Cessa gets rocked once again, it'll likely be the end of the experiment.

Cessa was a career-reliever with a handful of starts while in the New York Yankees organization. When he was traded to the Reds in 2021, it was to bolster the team's beleaguered bullpen, not take a spot in the starting rotation.

With Levi Stoudt having already made a start earlier this season, and Brandon Williamson on the cusp of his big league debut, it's only a matter of time before Luis Cessa is sent back to the Cincinnati bullpen. Another poor outing could see that happen as early as tomorrow.

Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson has disappointed through the first 20 games.

A lot of Reds fans are not going to want to hear this, but it's true. Tyler Stephenson has been disappointing through the first 20 games of the 2023 season. There's a myriad of reasons for Stephenson's shortcomings, but the Reds need their QB1 to pick up the pace.

Stephenson underwent surgery last season to repair a broken clavicle bone, so that could very well be the reason for his lack of power. Among all Reds players who've played at least 10 games, Stephenson ranks 10th in slugging percentage.

Stephenson's wRC+, according to FanGraphs, is currently sitting at 83. Stephenson is also striking out at an unusual clip. His strikeout-rate of 28.7-percent is in the 22nd percentile according to Baseball Savant. It's also higher than Jose Barrero's K-rate. If that doesn't get your attention, what will?

Can Tyler Stephenson turn things around? Absolutely. David Bell would appear to have sent a message to the 26-year-old on Thursday when he bumped Stephenson down in the lineup from thee cleanup spot down to fifth.

The Cincinnati Reds made the decision to move Stephenson around the diamond a bit more this season in an effort to keep him healthy. Whether that's playing into his psyche or not, only Stephenson can answer. But the Reds need one of the best players to start playing like it.

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.

Reds outfielder TJ Friedl has exceeded expectations through the first 20 games.

Okay, now to the positive thing of things. Has there been a better player through the Cincinnati Reds first 20 games than TJ Friedl? You could argue Graham Ashcraft, and perhaps even Jonathan India. But there's been no one on the Reds roster who's exceeded expectations more so than Friedl.

The 27-year-old is Top 3 on the team in doubles, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Friedl is a threat to go deep, but he's also a threat to lay down a bunt. Not only that, but he's also quite speedy on the base paths as well.

Coming into the 2023 season, it's fair to say that Friedl was a little more than a rotational outfielder who was going to see time in the starting lineup against right-handed pitchers. But it's doubtful that anyone would have pegged Friedl to consistently be hitting second in the Reds lineup.

Not only is Friedl getting at-bats against right-handed pitchers, but he's getting starts against southpaws as well. Of his 20 hits this season, four have come off lefties including a three-bagger earlier in the season.

TJ Friedl has cemented himself as an everyday player in the league. It may have taken him a long time to make to The Show, but it's hard to see Friedl going back to the minor leagues, or even a bench role, anytime soon. Friedl has been fantastic to begin the season.