Inside The Reds

Cincinnati Reds Might Be Most Surprising Team in Major League Baseball This Season

Opening Day is on Thursday, March 27.

Greg Kuffner

Mar 22, 2025; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) gets ready for a game against the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Mar 22, 2025; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) gets ready for a game against the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
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The Reds played their final spring training game in Arizona on Sunday afternoon, and Opening Day is just a couple of days away.

Baseball America recently had its analysts predict which team will be the biggest surprise in the 2025 season.

One analyst chose the Reds.

"Cincinnati stumbled in 2024, but I could see them bouncing back in a big way in 2025 with Matt McLain returning to the fold to help support a strong and deep homegrown rotation," Baseball America's Carlos Collazo wrote. "Hunter Greene is a great centerpiece and the Reds have no shortage of quality depth behind him between Andrew Abbott, Rhett Lowder, Nick Lodolo and perhaps Chase Burns and Chase Petty sooner rather than later."

After a tough 2024 season, the Reds have been a common pick between analysts and writers to have a bounce back season.

Cincinnati got Nick Martinez to accept his qualifying offer, signed Austin Hays, and traded for Jose Trevino, Brandy Singer, and Gavin Lux in the offseason. This year's Reds team seems to have much more depth than last year's team.

If the Reds can stay relatively healthy and can get a couple of bounce-back seasons from guys like Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jeimer Candelario, they could be a dark horse contender to win the National League Central Division.

The Reds will kickoff the season on Thursday, March 27 against the San Francisco Giants.

You can read Baseball America's full article here.

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Greg Kuffner
GREG KUFFNER

Greg Kuffner a contributor to Reds On SI. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati and worked for the Sports Information Department during his time as a student. He follows all things Reds year round, including the minor league system.

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