Reds playoff roster sparks hope of miracle run under Terry Francona

The 2025 MLB playoffs have arrived, and the Cincinnati Reds are in the mix for the first time in 12 years. But if they hope to take home the ultimate prize this October, they'll need to start by knocking off the defending World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. That won't be easy.

By sticking to his normal rotation, Reds manager Terry Francona is able to send Hunter Greene to the mound as his Game 1 starter on Tuesday. Last week, Francona chose not to substitute Greene for Brady Singer, and that bold move will allow the Reds' skipper to deploy his ace on Tuesday night.

The rest of the Reds roster was revealed just before the first game of the NL Wild Card Series. Unsurprisingly, players like Elly De La Cruz, Nick Lodolo, and Tyler Stephenson are among the group Francona chose to include as Cincinnati looks to dethrone the defending champs.

Reds playoff roster sparks hope of miracle run under Terry Francona

De La Cruz, Stephenson, and Noelvi Marte have been some of the Reds recent standouts, and they'll be among the position players Tito will look to when the playoffs begin. TJ Friedl has been the heart and soul of this year's Reds squad, and he'll undoubtedly be camped out in center field throughout the entire series.

Francona also has some very important bench pieces he can turn to throughout the wild-card matchup. Will Benson, Jose Trevino, and rookie infielder Sal Stewart could all make a impact during the series.

The Reds didn't need to roster the full complement of pitchers they ended the season with. The Wild Card Series will only go a maximum of three games, meaning Francona was able to go heavy on the position players, and light on pitching. Brady Singer and Zach Maxwell were left off the roster.

Tito will need a big performance from Greene in Game 1, with the hope of turning it over late to the duo of Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagán. The backend of the Reds' bullpen has been nails all season long, and the recent emergence of Connor Phillips gives Francona another reliable arm to turn to late in games.

The Reds will need to take two of three in order to advance to the NLDS — a destination they've not been since 2012. De La Cruz and Co. will hope to change that, and it begins tonight with Greene on the bump for Cincinnati.

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