Cincinnati Reds Analysis Before 2020 Season Start

The latest word out of the MLB offices is that we should not expect the new season to begin any sooner than early May. That is sure to be a bit of a blow to those that thought we might see things start to roll sometime in April. It is a precaution that does need to be taken, though, with sports becoming secondary in the world right now. While most us feel that the league suspensions are indeed necessary, it doesn’t make the wait for the action to begin any easier to deal with. Still, we can use this time to take a look at how we might wager once the season does get started. For this piece, let’s take a closer look at the 2020 Cincinnati Reds. Let’s check the MLB Odds and World Series Odds for the Cincinnati Reds 2020 Season.

Cincinnati Reds 2019 Season Performance

 Back in the early part of the 2010’s, the Cincinnati Reds were one of the teams to beat in the National League, going to the playoffs in 3 out of 4 seasons. It has been all downhill since then, though, with their best season since 2013 coming the following year when they had 76 wins. That was followed by 3 seasons of win totals in the 60’s, so their 75 wins last year was a slight improvement.

While 75 wins is certainly no reason to celebrate, it did see the Reds come off the bottom of the central Division, which is where they had landed in the 3 seasons prior to last. It was quite clear that scoring runs was an issue for this team, as they finished the year with just 710 runs, which is all the more disappointing when you consider how solid they were defensively, surrendering just 711 runs.

The goal for the Reds this coming season will be to add some pop to that lineup in hopes that they can put together an offense that is able to take advantage of the work that the pitching staff is delivering.

Cincinnati Reds Offseason Moves

The Reds are banking on their pitching staff being as good as they were last season, which is why they went shopping for power in the free agent market. The Reds have not really been among the big spenders in recent season, but that went out the window in this past offseason, as they went in big on a trio of offensive players. Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos are not really known for their defensive skills, but they are power hitters who can add some real pop to what was a listless Reds offense last season. They also dropped $21 to land the services of Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama. The Reds should score more runs this season, but will it be enough to move them up in the Central?

How the Bookies See the Cincinnati Reds

The NL Central looks to be one of the more competitive divisions in the MLB, but where will the Reds fall into this? The Bookies have them in at +300 to win the division, but Cincinnati are middle of the pack when it comes to the odds to win the World Series, where they are currently in at +3000.