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Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Three reasons this NL Central team may be the surprise of the season

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Feb 5, 2025 2:53 PM ET

When analyzing the NL Central for the 2025 MLB season, your attention would immediately gravitate towards the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs as the favorites to win the division.

Milwaukee has won the division three of the last four seasons while Chicago has been one of the most aggressive teams this offseason.

A team many folks have not said much about that has a solid roster is the Cincinnati Reds. With legendary manager Terry Francona returning to a managerial position, here are three reasons the Reds may be one of the surprise teams in the MLB this season.

1. Starting rotation

The Reds have one of the more underrated starting rotations in all of baseball. Hunter Greene is the ace of the staff, and he is coming off the best season of his career.

Greene finished 2024 with a 2.75 ERA and finished eighth in Cy Young voting.

The rotation also features former Royals starter Brady Singer, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott and Nick Martinez.

Abbott, Lodolo and Martinez have been in Cincinnati for multiple seasons, with Abbott and Martinez both having solid 2024 campaigns. Lodolo has shown flashes but has been derailed by injuries.

Hunter Greene shut down opposing hitters all year, debuting at No. 70 on the #Top100RightNow pic.twitter.com/2aOWGSujIi
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 5, 2025

2. Terry Francona

The importance of Francona as manager this season cannot be understated.

Former manager David Bell finished with a record of 409-456 (.473 winning %) in six seasons with the Reds. The Reds reached the postseason just once under Bell (2020) and were swept by the Braves.

Francona brings a career managerial record of 1,950-1,672 (.538 winning %) and will almost certainly have the Reds more prepared and playing harder than they ever did under Bell.

"I have never met any manager in 45 years of covering baseball who's better at identifying the best way to get the best out of (his players)."

ESPN's Tim Kurkjian is speaking at the Moeller First Pitch event tonight. Here's his two minute take on new Reds manager Terry Francona. pic.twitter.com/pSeWgPmHki
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) January 16, 2025

3. The Kids

Cincinnati has just one player over 30 years old in its projected Opening Day lineup from FanGraphs, that being 31-year-old Jeimer Candelario.

We all know about the young phenom Elly De La Cruz, who just continues to get better in every season. Matt McLain, who put up a 3.7 WAR in his rookie season in 2023 before missing all of 2024 with an injury, will return to the Cincinnati lineup. Spencer Steer had a bit of a down year in 2024 and will have a chip on his shoulder and look to bounce back in 2025.

It is a young but experienced group that should improve from last season when it ranked 26th in team average (.231) and 9th in strikeouts (1,459)

ELLY DE LA CRUZ INSIDE-THE-PARK HOMER pic.twitter.com/PGKKnfmvaQ
— MLB (@MLB) April 9, 2024

Injuries are bound to happen in sports, but if Cincinnati can stay relatively healthy for a majority of the season, it could make a lot of noise in the NL Central and get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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