Here are the Reds' best players of the decade

Here are the Reds' best players of the decade

December 27th, 2019

CINCINNATI -- The Reds had three playoff seasons and seven losing seasons during the 2010s. But both types of outcomes had one thing in common.

Whether the team won or lost during a given season, Cincinnati had its fair share of very productive players who will always be memorable for the club.

Here are the top 10 Reds players of the decade.

1.
Seasons: 2007-present

The final two seasons of the decade have been a struggle for Votto, but that shouldn’t diminish his achievements. The six-time All-Star slashed .306/.428/.516 with 231 home runs from 2010-19, and he owned the best on-base percentage in the Majors over that 10-year span (.428). While hitting a career-high 37 homers, he opened the decade by winning the '10 National League Most Valuable Player Award. He came oh-so-close to winning a second in '17. And for good measure, Votto played all 162 games in '13 and '17. Not only is he one of the best players of the decade in all of baseball, but he should also be a Hall of Fame candidate.

2.
Seasons: 2006-16

A three-time All-Star during the decade, Phillips played exceptional defense while also being one of the best-hitting second basemen in the league with 103 home runs. His best season came in 2011, when he batted .300/.353/.457 with 18 homers. In '13, while batting behind Shin-Soo Choo and Votto, Phillips collected 103 RBIs.

3.
Seasons: 2008-15

Cueto broke in with the Reds in 2008 and notched a 3.21 ERA in 213 starts over eight seasons. But he developed into a true ace during this decade. In '12, the right-hander went 19-9 with a 2.78 ERA in a league-leading 33 starts. In his '14 NL All-Star season, Cueto was 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA and led the league in starts (34), innings (243 2/3) and strikeouts (242).

4.
Seasons: 2008-16

Bruce slugged 30 or more home runs in three straight seasons from 2011-13, and he hit the iconic walk-off homer that clinched the NL Central in '10 at Great American Ball Park. A three-time NL All-Star, he ironically did not make the All-Star team in ’13, when he hit 30 homers with a career-high 109 RBIs. Bruce also had a superb left arm that helped him collect 66 outfield assists during the decade.

5.
Seasons: 2015-present

Suárez just completed one of the better offensive seasons in Reds history by hitting a career-best 49 homers with 103 RBIs, and he’s improved each year he has spent in Cincinnati. The Reds acquired him in a Winter Meetings trade with the Tigers for pitcher Alfredo Simon before the 2015 season, and they came away the big winners. An All-Star in '18, Suárez is batting .267/.347/.486 with 143 homers over his five seasons for the club.

6.
Seasons: 2011-15

Suárez’s predecessor at third base, the gregarious Frazier hit 108 home runs over his five seasons with the Reds. His best year came in 2015, when he set career highs (at the time) with 35 homers and 89 RBIs. But it was the big flies that didn’t count on his ledger that were the most memorable. During the '15 All-Star Game, hosted by the Reds at Great American Ball Park, Frazier was the winner of the Home Run Derby and provided a signature moment with a bonus-round homer into the left-field seats to defeat Joc Pederson of the Dodgers.

7.
Seasons: 2010-15

The left-handed flamethrower from Cuba electrified baseball while posting a 2.17 ERA for the Reds over 324 games as he struck out an astounding 15.4 batters per nine innings. As a 2010 rookie, he set a record with a 105.5-mph fastball in San Diego. He became Cincinnati’s closer in '12, and he had one of his best seasons with a 1.51 ERA and 38 saves.

8.
Seasons: 2006-13, '17

Arroyo arrived from Boston in 2006 in a lopsided trade that sent Wily Mo Pena to the Red Sox. Arroyo became a workhorse who immediately added credibility and leadership to a suspect rotation. In '10, '12 and '13, he pitched at least 200 innings (and in '11, 199 innings). Arroyo never missed a start, and he made 129 of them in that four-season span, with six complete games and a 4.11 ERA. In '10, he went 17-10 with a 3.88 ERA over 33 starts and 215 2/3 innings.

9.
Seasons: 2012-14

Latos wasn’t a favorite in the clubhouse, and he took shots at the club after he was traded to Miami before the 2015 season in a deal that brought Anthony DeSclafani to Cincinnati. But on the mound during his three seasons with the Reds, he was usually a strong performer. The right-hander was 33-16 with a 3.31 ERA over his 81 starts. In 2013, he was 14-7 with a 3.16 ERA.

10.
Seasons: 2011-17

Cozart gave the Reds something that was lacking for much of Phillips’ early years with the Reds – a consistent double-play partner up the middle. He played above average at shortstop, and he was a team leader. A grisly right knee injury cost him most of 2015, but he had a career year in ’17 as he batted .297/.385/.548 with 24 home runs and 63 RBIs while making the NL All-Star team.

Honorable mentions


Seasons: 2007-18

Bailey had a 3.61 ERA over 88 starts from 2012-14, and he threw two no-hitters.


Seasons: 2007-13

A strong game-caller, Hanigan caught both of Bailey’s no-hitters, and he hit .261/.358/.344 from 2010-13.


Seasons: 2017-present

Castillo owns a 3.68 ERA over 78 career starts in the big leagues. He went 15-8 with a 3.40 ERA and 226 strikeouts in 2019 while throwing 190 2/3 innings.


Season: 2013

Choo’s one season in Cincinnati was brilliant -- he batted .285/.423/.462 with 21 homers and 107 runs scored.