Cincinnati Reds Are Underrated Going Into Opening Day 2016

The Cincinnati Reds are going to lose 100 games this season. They are one of the worst teams in expected run differential this season. This prediction of a bad record is causing the Reds to be underrated going into the 2016 season.

Between the 2015 season and the 2016 spring training, the Reds have had an extraordinary number of significant injuries. Few teams could have absorbed the number of injuries the Reds have had to endure and remain competitive. Right now their entire projected starting rotation prior to the signing of Alfredo Simon is expected to start the season on the disabled list.

There isn’t any talk about the perennial MVP candidate Joey Votto or the game’s truest slugger since Adam Dunn retired in Jay Bruce. When Jose Peraza and Billy Hamilton play in the same game, they will create the best running combination since Vince Coleman and Willie McGee played for Whitey Herzog’s St. Louis Cardinals.

The starting pitching has potential to be exciting, too. Simon is returning to the team he made the All-Star Game playing for two seasons ago. Brandon Finnegan has the best stuff of any lefty in the Reds’ organization and falls behind only Jon Lester and Francisco Liriano in the NL Central. To top it off, Raisel Iglesias will be given more leeway as the only pitcher in the rotation to start the season that was in the running to do so just a month ago. Originally thought of as a middle-of-the-rotation starter, Iglesias is suddenly the opening day starter.

The Reds’ greatest weakness going into spring training was the lack of depth in the starting rotation. Injuries have forced the Reds to adapt. Now teams will find out how competitive the Reds are, even if it doesn’t translate into wins in 2016.