Who will save the day for each MLB team?

Cincinnati Reds: Scooter Gennett

To be clear, the best player on the Cincinnati Reds is Joey Votto, and it’s not particularly close. He’s one of the best hitters in the game and first ballot Hall of Famer when he retires. But Scooter Gennett gives the Reds another capable hitter besides Votto in their lineup.

The Reds claimed Gennett off of waivers before the 2017 season, and it paid off big time. After showing some potential across several average seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Gennett broke out in a big way with the Reds in 2018. He slashed an impressive .295/.342/.531 (.874 OPS) with 27 home runs and 97 RBI. In just about every statistical category, he posted a career high.

His big season included a jaw-dropping four-home run game against the St. Louis Cardinals, one of which was a grand slam. He ended the game with 10 RBI and became the only Reds player to ever hit four homers in one game.

When you’re a grown man named “Scooter,” you have no choice but to be awesome at whatever you do. And Gennett is starting to look like a steal for Cincinnati. Unfortunately for the Reds, though, this season is going to be rough for them. Regardless of how well Votto and Gennett perform, they’ll likely finish in last place in the NL Central.

Their pitching simply isn’t good enough to keep up with the Cubs, Cardinals and Brewers. And the rest of their lineup really isn’t anything to write home about, either. Gennett will continue to be a productive player for a less-than-mediocre Reds team.