Ten things to know about the 2022 Cincinnati Reds
Baseball is back, baby.
Better late than never, thanks to a lockout and protracted labor negotiations that finally came up with an agreement and a Major League Baseball regular season start date of April 7. That was Thursday with nine games scheduled but at least two postponed because of weather.
The new start date forced the Cincinnati Reds to deviate from their traditional opening day at home — the Reds are baseball’s oldest professional franchise, after all — and instead began the season at the world champion Atlanta Braves.
With that in mind, here are 10 things to know about the 2022 Reds:
1. Many familiar faces are gone. Reds 2021 regulars Tucker Barnhart, Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suarez, Sonny Gray, Amir Garrett, Nick Castellanos, Wade Miley and Michael Lorenzen are now toiling for other teams. Call their departures cost-cutting measures. Or sustainability requirements. Doesn’t matter. Either way, Reds Nation is none too happy with the offseason shake-up.
2. Hunter Greene is with the big club. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft is scheduled to make his MLB debut on Sunday in Atlanta. A 22-year-old right-hander, Greene has been consistently hitting 100-plus miles per hour with his fastball and is the Reds’ best pitching prospect since . . . Johnny Cueto?
3. Nick Lodolo is with the big club. The left-handed starting pitcher out of TCU was the Reds’ first-round pick, seventh overall, in the 2019 MLB Draft. Lodolo impressed enough in spring training to earn a start April 13 against Cleveland at Great American Ball Park.
4. Nick Senzel is on a revenge tour. Assorted injuries have derailed the career of the former Tennessee star, chosen second overall by the Reds in the 2016 MLB Draft. The center fielder has played just 163 games in three major league seasons. But Senzel tore the cover off the ball this spring and is due to stay healthy. Fingers crossed.
5. The corner outfielders are question marks. Winker is gone from left field. Castellanos is gone from right. Tommy Pham replaces Winker. Former LSU star Jake Fraley, acquired from Seattle, replaces Castellanos. Both have big shoes to fill.
6. The DH has come to the NL. The labor agreement brought the universal designated hitter to Major League Baseball. The Reds don’t have one obvious candidate for the DH job, meaning the duties will probably be split on a lefty-righty basis.
7. Joey Votto has hit social media. With a vengeance, we might add. The Reds’ first baseman is now on both TikTok and Instagram. The 38-year-old also enjoyed a good spring and looks ready to roll for the ninth year of his 10-year, $225 million deal.
8. Jonathan India is a budding star. The 25-year-old second baseman was the NL Rookie of the Year last season after hitting .269 with 21 homers and 69 RBI. He should get nothing but better.
9. Tyler Stephenson is the everyday catcher. The Reds’ first-round pick, 11th overall, in 2015 finally made it to the big leagues last year, when he backed up Barnhart. After hitting .286 in 350 at-bats, he has the position all to himself this season.
10. Bengals stars highlight opening day. Quarterback Joe Burrow will throw out the first pitch next Tuesday to head coach Zac Taylor. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase will present India with his Rookie of the Year award. That’s all before Tyler Mahle takes the mound.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 3:40 PM.
