Three Bold Predictions for the 2025 Cincinnati Reds

The 2025 Major League Baseball season is here! Opening Day is on Thursday, which means it's time for some bold predictions.

Check out our three bold predictions for the 2025 Cincinnati Reds below:

Elly De La Cruz Will Win National League Most Valuable Player Award

After a breakout season in his first full year in the big leagues, Elly De La Cruz is primed for an even bigger season in 2025.

The switch-hitter slashed .259/.339/.471in 2024 with 71 extra-base hits and a league-leading 67 stolen bases.

After a minor swing change, De La Cruz looked even better in spring training, slashing .409/.519/.773 with eight extra-base hits and six stolen bases. He also brought his strikeout rate down to about 22%. In comparison, it was at around 31% last season.

Reds' manager Terry Francona has high hopes for the young superstar.

“I told him again yesterday, ‘I want you to be the best player in baseball on the best team in baseball.’ That’s my goal," Francona said back in February. "And he got a big smile on his face.”

If De La Cruz can raise his on-base percentage by 15 to 20 points, I fully expect him to be in the thick of the MVP race. There's no reason why he can't win the award this season.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand Will Hit 30 Home Runs

Fans were buzzing when Encarnacion-Strand came up midway through the 2023 season after dominating the minor leagues.

The slugger slashed .270/.328/.477 that season in 63 games with 20 extra-base hits. In 2024, a wrist injury derailed most of his season and he appeared in just 29 games for Cincinnati.

However, this spring, the 25-year-old looked much more like himself, slashing .280/.339/.560 with seven extra-base hits.

If Encarnacion-Strand can hit 20-30 home runs and insert himself at the power bat in the middle of the order, most Reds fans would take it. However, I am taking it a step further and saying he will hit 30 or more home runs this season and have a huge bounce-back year.

The Reds' Starting Rotation will be in the Top Five in the League in ERA

The Reds' most important move this offseason was improving their pitching depth. Although Andrew Abbott, Wade Miley, and Rhett Lowder will be unavailable to start the season, the team still has a very reliable five-man rotation with Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, Nick Martinez, and Carson Spiers.

"Kind of the old adage: If you think you have enough pitchers, go get more," Francona told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "We did get more. If we get to the end of Spring Training and if we have to kind of aggravate somebody because we feel like we have too many starters, good for us, because I think we've all seen when you don't have enough pitching, that can derail your season. So the idea of going out and getting two guys really, really helps."

Abbott is expected to miss just one start as long as he doesn't have any setbacks.

Greene and Martinez are coming off the best seasons of their career. Brady Singer has a high floor and is a reliable starter. Nick Lodolo might have the highest ceiling out of all of them,

When Lowder and Miley get healthy, those are two more options that you feel good about.

The Reds' starting rotation will be one of the most consistent rotations in Major League Baseball. If the offense can figure some things out, the Reds should have a big season.