Fantasy baseball: 2020 Cincinnati Reds fantasy preview
By Mike Marteny
2020 Cincinnati Reds projected starting lineup:
Shogo Akiyama, CF (.303, 20 HR, 62 RBI, 12 SB with Seibu Lions)
Joey Votto, 1B (.261, 15 HR, 47 RBI, 5 SB in 525 AB)
Eugenio Suarez, 3B (.271, 49 HR, 103 RBI, 3 SB in 575 AB)
Mike Moustakas, 2B (.254, 35 HR, 87 RBI, 3 SB in 523 AB with MIL)
Nick Castellanos, RF (.289, 27 HR, 73 RBI, 2 SB in 615 AB with DET)
Jesse Winker, LF (.269, 16 HR, 38 RBI, 0 SB in 338 AB)
Freddy Galvis, SS (.260, 23 HR, 70 RBI, 4 SB in 557 AB with TOR/CIN)
Tucker Barnhart, C (.231, 11 HR, 40 RBI, 1 SB in 316 AB)
The Reds made improvements across the board. The import of Akiyama from Japan can’t be ignored, but there is also a good chance that he’s part of a platoon with Nick Senzel. The Reds like Senzel’s versatility off the bench, but the crowding of the outfield doesn’t stop there. Aristides Aquino slugged 19 homers in just 206 at bats last year!
Some hitters have trouble with the transition from Japan to the U.S. Akiyama is 32 years old already, which makes him a senior citizen on this club. Akiyama hit .301 with 116 HR, 513 RBI, and 112 SB in 1,207 career games in Japan. At this point, he looks like a late flier only.
Suarez might have turned into a first-round pick. He doesn’t have the average of Arenado, but he has a similarly favorable home park. If you want Suarez, you’re going to have to use a top 15 pick on him in most drafts. He should be worth it with a better lineup around him.
Moose moving to 2B is going to be huge when that eligibility hits. He will be among the leaders of homers at the position and will be available long after Hiura, Altuve, and Muncy are gone. We likely wont have the eligibility right away, but it will be huge after the first ten games.
Castellanos has decent upside in an improved lineup and is still worthy of a later round pick. However, Aquino is going to steal at bats from someone. It will likely be whoever struggles. I like Aquino in the middle-to-late rounds as well, but it’s hard when he’s not guaranteed a starting role.
If you are looking for some cheap pop at SS, Galvis could be your guy. Just keep in mind that he struggled once he got to Cincinnati last year. Galvis only hit .234 with five homers and 16 RBI in 32 games with the Reds
Prospects to watch:
If Tyler Stephenson continues his fast ascension and Barnhart continues to struggle to stay healthy, he could find himself in a starting role by the middle of summer. If Stephenson gets the call, he worth a pickup.
The Reds have a couple more outfielders that are moving quickly through the minors, but It’s going to be really difficult to crack what they already have in the majors. They aren’t worth a bench spot anywhere right now.