The Cincinnati Reds are one of the more intriguing teams in the league this season. They have a loaded pitching staff with a bullpen that's dominating, but their lineup has been streaky at best. While players like Austin Hays and Gavin Lux have been incredible, the Reds have struggled to score runs at times.
Hunter Greene looks like one of the best pitchers in baseball while Nick Lodolo and Brady Singer have been great, too. Andrew Abbott and Nick Martinez finish out the rotation that's been one of the best in baseball.
But there are still a lot of question marks surrounding the Reds. With these question marks, you're going to get a few overreactions as well, notably with Elly De La Cruz and the hitters in Cincinnati.
What are some of the worst overreactions revolving around the Reds this season?
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Overreaction: Elly De La Cruz should move to the outfield
There are a lot of overreactions revolving around De La Cruz, largely because he's one of the more popular players in the game. Some fans seem to overreact when the strikeouts pile up, indicating he's not a top of the lineup bat, while some believers think he's a top five or top ten player in the sport.
But the biggest overreaction is the idea that De La Cruz needs to move from shortstop to the outfield. This idea originates because of the errors De La Cru makes on a routine basis. Fernando Tatis Jr. saw success moving from shortstop to the outfield, so why couldn't the Reds' star?
There are a few key differences. The first one is the San Diego Padres have a shortstop worth hundreds of millions of dollars taking Tatis' place. The second difference is how well De La Cruz grades out as a defender in every key statistic besides errors.
It's a bit too early in the season to draw conclusions on his advanced metrics, but last season, De La Cruz was among the best players in the league in outs above average and fielding run value. His range and value as a defender goes far beyond the routine play he bobbles.
His immense range makes it easier to make errors, too. De La Cruz is able to get to more batted balls than most shortstops, which increases his chance of making an error on one of these incredible plays.
Moving him to the outfield makes no sense right now. If his advanced metrics continue to trend down and the Reds add a star shortstop to replace him, maybe a move to center field could make sense, but right now, he's a shortstop and a good one at that.
Overreaction: The Reds have one of the best bullpens in baseball
The second overreaction is a lot quieter than the first and it's one that's emerged as of late.
There are a lot of fans in Cincinnati that believe the Reds have one of the better bullpens in baseball this season, but that's hardly defensible. Cincinnati's bullpen has seen impressive performances from guys like Emilio Pagan, Graham Ashcraft, Brent Suter, and Luis Mey this season.
But it's an incredible stretch to call them one of the better units in the league. In fact, Cincinnati could look to upgrade over a few arms in the bullpen, potentially including offseason acquisitions Taylor Rogers and Scott Barlow. Both have been quite underwhelming this season.
Either way, this isn't a knock on the Reds' bullpen. It's a solid unit with a lot of guys throwing very well right now, but that doesn't place them among the best units in the league. They could afford to add a player or two before the trade deadline.
Overreaction: Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand aren't as advertised
Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand came to the big leagues with huge expectations. At times, they've looked like potential superstars, but this season, they've both struggled. A lot of people are already prepared to give up on the pair and write them off as potential busts.
But it's way too early to do that.
McLain, 25, missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. He looked excellent early this year before suffering a lower body injury just eight games into the year. Since returning, he's dropped his OPS by nearly .400. Either way, he's still just 25 years old and he's played just 121 games in the big leagues. He'll be fine.
Encarnacion-Strand is in the same boat. He's destroyed the ball at each stop before last season. Last year, he tried to play through an injury, but ended up missing a large chunk of the year with it. This season, he's struggled again, but the slugger is also battling injuries again. Encarnacion-Strand is the same age as McLain, but he's played fewer games in the big leagues.
Both these young stars are very talented. They're young and have shown a lot of potential. It's far too early to give up on them.