5 bold predictions for the Cincinnati Reds 2023 season

The Cincinnati Reds are readying for the 2023 season. While not much is expected from David Bell's squad during the upcoming season, the ole Redlegs will have 162 games to prove the doubters wrong.

Cincinnati's roster has undergone a considerable amount of changes over the past year-plus. Gone are players like Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, and Eugenio Suarez. But fans have seen youngsters like Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Jonathan India take a bigger role with the club.

Let's look at some bold predictions for the Reds 2023 season. Now, don't expect to see anything like 'Cincinnati wins the NL Central' or 'The Reds secure Wild Card berth' - these predictions may be bold, but they're not out of this world.

1. Bold prediction for Reds 2023 season: Graham Ashcraft is the team's lone All-Star representative.

The Cincinnati Reds are not devoid of talent. Alexis Diaz received some love from the writers last season and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting. Heck, Jonathan India won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2021. So, while not much is expected from this year's club, let's not pretend that the Reds are a bunch of ragtag misfits.

There is All-Star level talent on this year's team. Tyler Stephenson seemed like a shoo-in to go to the Midsummer Classic last year before two pre-All-Star trips to the injured list derailed any chance of the Reds backstop making it out to Los Angeles.

Graham Ashcraft was a surprise to most fans last season. While everyone had heard of Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, not many folks throughout Reds Country knew about the right-hander from Alabama.

Ashcraft looked like he ran out of steam by the end of last season. After owning a sub-4.00 ERA through his first 16 starts, when Ashcraft returned from the IL, he pitched just 12 innings and allowed opponents to hit .353.

But a healthy and rested Graham Ashcraft, who actually threw more innings than Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo during 2022, could be a nightmare for opposing batters during the upcoming season. Ashcraft isn't going to blow youo away with high strikeout numbers, but he pitches to contact and records outs. Look for Ashcraft to be the Reds lone All-Star in 2023.