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3 reasons the Reds will win the NL Central, 1 weakness that could bite them

By Zach Pressnell

Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds acknowledges the crowd before his first at bat of the season in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park on June 19, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds acknowledges the crowd before his first at bat of the season in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park on June 19, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports /

The Reds are the hottest team in baseball, with a ton of strengths to their roster. But, they also have one huge glaring weakness.

The Cincinnati Reds have surged up the NL Central standings through the month of June. They are riding a nine-game win streak and are 11-2 since they called up their top prospect, Elly De La Cruz. The excitement and energy surrounding this team have reached new peaks that fans haven’t seen in over a decade. They stand alone atop the NL Central, at least for the time being.

They look forward to continue putting themselves in positions to win. The Reds have some tremendous strengths in their team and in their situation. They have been dealt a pretty good hand of baseball, besides injuries, during the 2023 season.

And the Red could very well go on to win the division this season.

4. The Reds could win the NL Central because the division is weak

The Reds are only in the position they are in because of how bad the NL Central has been. The NL Central has been one of if not the worst division in baseball. The Reds find themselves sitting three games over .500 yet in first place in their division. This isn’t a common outcome, as they wouldn’t be leading too many divisions in the MLB.

Actually, the Reds would only be in first place in the NL Central and the AL Central. They would actually sit in dead last in the AL East while coming in fourth in the AL West, NL West, and NL East. This shows how fortunate the Reds have become with their situation, which could cause some critics to say that the Reds don’t deserve to be in the place they’re in.

But this is just part of the hand the Reds are being dealt. They can’t change how the teams around them play, so there is no reason to nitpick on this idea. The Reds need to continue to win and take advantage of the abysmal NL Central. If they can continue to improve and stay hot, they could begin to pull away with the division, as the Pirates and Brewers have struggled mightily as of late.

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