How '23 ushered in a 'special time' for the Reds

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CINCINNATI -- Following a 100-loss season amid a roster teardown and rebuilding project in 2022, not many were bullish on the Reds' chances to contend in 2023.

But surprise they did. With a refreshingly youthful and athletic roster, Cincinnati competed for the playoffs to the penultimate game while providing interest all season.

Still, the Reds faded down the stretch and finished 82-80 to miss the postseason.

"What’s been created is really an experience that stays with you," Reds manager David Bell said on Sunday. "It makes you a better person. It makes you a better player. It makes you a better teammate. Our players incredibly contributed so much to just making a great team and a great team environment. No matter what, you just never accept anything less than as you move forward.”

Because of this season, expectations for 2024 will be much higher.

Before looking ahead, it's time to review 2023.

Defining moment: A June 23 game vs. the Braves was not only a thrilling 11-10 victory for the Reds but it was arguably the most compelling game in all of Major League Baseball during the season.

The 12th straight victory, which gave the Reds their longest winning streak since 1957, underscored the resilience repeatedly shown by the club as it came back from deficits of 5-0 and 7-5. The biggest contributions also spanned the generations of team stars.

A two-home run night -- including the game-winning three-run drive -- by the recently activated Joey Votto was overshadowed by the electric Elly De La Cruz. The rookie became the first Cincinnati player to hit for the cycle since Eric Davis in 1989.

“That’s special stuff right there," second baseman Jonathan India said that night. “It’s a special time in Cincinnati and we’re enjoying every part of it.”

What we learned: The Reds should have gone all in at the Trade Deadline.

On July 31, the club was leading the National League Central over the Brewers by 1 1/2 games and at 59-49, it was a season-high 10 games over .500 despite an injury-depleted rotation that was ranked 28th in ERA out of 30 MLB teams.

At the Aug. 1 Deadline, the Reds only added reliever Sam Moll from the A's, which proved to be an excellent trade. However, general manager Nick Krall was unable to land the much-needed starting pitcher. As teams were asking for coveted prospects, Krall and the Reds anticipated the healthy returns of Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo a few weeks later and felt they could weather the storm. But Greene was often ineffective and Lodolo wound up missing the rest of the season.

The Reds went 10-17 in August, while also struggling to score runs, and began their fade.

Best development: The youth movement blossomed.

Cincinnati had 16 players make their Major League debuts, more than any other club, and had 23 rookies play games in 2023. De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand arrived to boost the lineup while lefty Andrew Abbott practically carried the rotation in June and July.

Area for improvement: Since the shortcomings of the rotation were already mentioned, another place to look is defense. Even with the additions of talented fielders like McLain and De La Cruz, Statcast ranked the Reds 29th with both -36 outs above average and -29 runs prevented. The still-young pitching staff will need better fielding support to be more successful.

On the rise: He wasn't a prospect, but center fielder TJ Friedl boosted his resume significantly from enduring five big league stints in 2022 to becoming a lineup fixture and team leader in 2023. Including hits in 16 of his last 18 games, Friedl batted .279 with an .819 OPS and 18 homers, 66 RBIs and 27 steals. He also had an MLB-leading 17 bunt hits and eight assists.

Team MVP: Rookie Spencer Steer played a team-leading 156 games while also leading with 23 homers and 86 RBIs. Steer also played five positions and along with McLain, was the most consistent among the rookies.