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.

CHICAGO -- After being surprise contenders and falling just short of the postseason in 2023, the Reds had a lot of optimism that ‘24 would be the year they took that next step.

Instead, Cincinnati took steps backward. Not only was there no playoff berth to celebrate in 2024, but a lack of discipline, an inability to win close games (15-28 in one-run contests) along with some poor defense at times and baserunning woes were among the factors that led to manager David Bell losing his job.

“I think everybody has disappointment with us missing [the playoffs]," catcher Tyler Stephenson said. "We all have expectations to be in October, especially with how close we were last year. That’s something everybody will be working for this offseason.”

The Reds entered Sunday's finale with a 76-85 record. They haven't reached the postseason in a full season since 2013 (Cincinnati qualified in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign).

There were plenty of ups and downs during 2024. Here's a closer look at the Reds’ season.

Defining moment: Six games from July 2-7 encapsulated the type of season this was for Cincinnati. The Reds became the first National League team to sweep a three-game series from the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. They never trailed in any of the games and played a near perfect series when it came to pitching, offense, defense and baserunning. In the following series against the Tigers at home, however, Cincinnati was promptly swept in three games.

“It’s been a rollercoaster, up and down," interim manager Freddie Benavides said. "It’s just the consistency and maturity of these guys -- just very inconsistent in general. It shows that we can play with the top teams when we’re at our best."

What we learned: The Reds weren't as deep in the infield as they thought.

Going into Spring Training, Cincinnati had a deep infield group that included Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Jonathan India, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte and Jeimer Candelario. It was expected that India, especially, would lose playing time at second base to McLain, and instead be moved to first base. Spencer Steer was expected to be moved to left field.

Attrition came quickly. Marte was suspended for 80 games for performance-enhancing drugs and struggled after returning. McLain injured his left shoulder while practicing diving catches in Spring Training and needed what proved to be season-ending surgery.

Encarnacion-Strand broke his right hand on April 27 and didn't play again after going on the injured list on May 8 and undergoing surgery. Candelario, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract, had a disappointing first season in Cincinnati and missed the final six weeks with a broken left big toe.

Best development: Stephenson played a full and healthy season -- and the results showed. He set career highs in home runs, RBIs and runs. He also smashed personal records in starts behind the plate and innings caught. Although Stephenson has work to do on throwing out baserunners, he developed as a game-caller and how he worked with pitchers.

Area for improvement: Poor team defense and baserunning mistakes were often the Reds’ undoing, with fundamental breakdowns occurring too frequently. Players under the next manager will need to be held accountable and learn from the mistakes while tightening things up.

On the rise: Rhett Lowder (Reds’ No. 2 prospect and No. 32 overall) was rushed to the big leagues to bolster a battered rotation, but he was ready to seize the opportunity. Lowder went 2-2 with a 1.17 ERA in six starts and made a strong case that he belongs in the 2025 rotation.

Team MVP: De La Cruz became the fifth player in MLB history to have a 20-homer/60-steal season. He entered the season finale with 25 home runs and 65 stolen bases, all while accounting for 5.0 WAR. That said, he also leads the Majors in strikeouts (216) and errors (29). Still, there’s no disputing that his contributions paced the team.