Fansided

Who is your MLB team’s unsung hero so far this season

By Brad Weiss

DENVER, CO - APRIL 25: Trevor Story
DENVER, CO - APRIL 25: Trevor Story /
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CINCINNATI, OH – JULY 02: Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Great American Ball Park on July 2, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds won 5-3. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – JULY 02: Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Great American Ball Park on July 2, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds won 5-3. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Cincinnati Reds: Raisel Iglesias

When it comes to futility this season, the Cincinnati Reds are tough to beat, as they have once again been one of the worst teams in the National League. In fact, with how good some of the teams in the NL Central are, it is going to be a long time before they are battling for a division title again.

The roster has underachieved at many levels, as their pitching has been inconsistent. The starting rotation has gotten nothing going for most of the season, and for their closer, Raisel Iglesias, the save opportunities have been few and far between.

Iglesias took over as the team’s closer last season, posting a 2.49 earned run average in his 63 appearances. Heading into the 2018 season, there were plenty of question marks on this Reds roster, but the closer spot was not one of them, as they have one of the more consistent arms in baseball back there.

In 2018, Iglesias has been stellar once again, as his earned run average has actually improved to a 2.47 clip. He has struck out better than a batter per inning, and has already notched 23 saves, which puts him within striking distance of his career-high of 28 set last season.

In Iglesias, the Reds have a guy who could be a star closer in this league if he played for a team that could actually set him up to earn saves. As long as he keeps doing his job, he is going to have success, but his best years will likely come away from Cincinnati.

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