Back to Business: Reds looking for first playoff appearance since 1995

It may be hard to believe, but if the MLB playoffs began today the Cincinnati Reds would be in the playoffs because they currently lead the NL Wild Card (technically, they’re tied with Milwaukee but we’ll assume they’d beat them in a one game playoff).

The five-time World Series winners are looking for their first appearance in the postseason since 1995 when they won the NL Central and were swept by the eventual champion Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.  With familiar faces such as Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. no longer in Cincinnati, it is hard to imagine that this team would even be considered to contend for the NL Central crown.  However, Dusty Baker’s team seems to have the pieces in place to make a run once September comes around.

The Reds are currently 19-14 (one game behind division-leading St. Louis) and have won six of their last seven games, with the lone loss coming in extra innings against St. Louis this past Sunday.  The best hitter for the Reds so far has clearly been Joey Votto, who is tied for the NL lead with an impressive .374 batting average, 26 RBIs, and a 1.065 OPS.  Jay Bruce is tied for fourth in the NL with 10 home runs, while leadoff man Willy Taveras is hitting .313 with 24 runs scored and nine stolen bases.  These numbers are not a shock to many, but the pitching of the Reds is opening eyes around the league.

The Reds pitching staff ranks fourth in the NL in ERA, Batting Average Against, OPS, and Saves. The bullpen is looking pretty solid, with Arthur Rhodes and Dave Weathers each recording six holds a piece. Rhodes has yet to allow an earned run in 11.1 innings pitched. Francisco Cordero leads the NL with 10 saves. In 15 innings pitched, Cordero has struck out 16 batters and has yet to blow a save opportunity. Reliever Nick Masset has also pitched well out of the bullpen, only allowing two earned runs in 14.2 innings pitched. However, the difference between the Reds of 2008 and 2009 is the starting pitching staff.

The Cincinnati Reds are the only team in the NL that has pitchers who are in the top five in wins, ERA, and saves.  Despite having an ERA above 7.00, Bronson Arroyo leads the Reds starting staff with a 5-2 record.  If he keeps it up, he should have no problem surpassing his career-best 15 wins in 2008.  Edison Volquez (4-2) was the surprise pitcher on Cincinnati last year, but now Johnny Cueto is starting to steal the spotlight.  Cueto is 3-1 and second in the NL with a 1.59 ERA.  Cueto allowed more than one earned run in only one start this season, which was his season debut versus Pittsburgh and receieved his only loss.  Aaron Harang is already looking better as well, with a 2.93 ERA despite a 3-3 record.  The Reds will need Harang, the highest paid player on the roster, to improve upon his disasterous 2008 season, where he went 6-17 with a 4.79 ERA. 

It won’t be easy for Dusty Baker’s bunch to win the NL Central, or even the NL Wild Card. The Cardinals are off to a hot start, the Cubs are bound to get better once summer comes around and everyone gets healthy, and the Brewers are finding ways to win despite losing their top two starters from last season. Though the NL West will likely only produce one playoff team, the NL East has at least three teams that will compete for the division crown, while the others will fight for the Wild Card. The Reds have what it takes to win in the regular season and make a run in October. Their starting pitching staff is among the better ones in baseball, their bullpen is tough to beat in the late innings, and they have the hitters to produce runs though they rank in the lower half of the NL in that category. It is now only a matter of time before the Reds get back to the postseason.