David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
I have said it before and I am about to say it again. The Cincinnati Reds are one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. Around the second week of the 2013 season they began showing the world that they could beat anyone at any time they wanted. Fast forward a couple of weeks and it has been time for the Reds to hit an offensive skid. Like all great teams, they are showing little signs of life. Primarily those signs offensively are in Brandon Phillips and Shin-Soo Choo. Unfortunately those two can’t do it all.
The main thing they can’t do is pitch. At least they don’t pitch in the majors. Against the Washington Nationals, Choo homered and Phillips added 2 RBI. Together they helped the Reds get to three runs scored but that was as far as they could go. The pitching failed to hold the Nats and they continued returning the favor to the Reds for their earlier series loss. Obviously in order to get out of the little skid, the Reds will need that classic combination that keeps eluding them right now, pitching and defense.
Eventually this team will get everyone healthy and they will start to roll. I am not going to predict where they will finish because the National League Central has proven to be a very tight and tough division already. What I can say is that wherever they end up, however many wins they tally, two large reasons will be Choo and Phillips. And I stand by my claim that Phillips should be in the top of the NL Most Valuable Player voting by the end of the year. We shall see.
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.
