With just under two weeks left in the regular season, both the American League and National League Wild Card races are suddenly up for grabs. While it had seemed like both fields were set, the Guardians and the Rangers have stuck around in the AL and the Mets’ shocking tailspin has opened the door for the Diamondbacks, Giants and Reds. Any of the aforementioned teams currently on the outside looking in successfully coming back to make the postseason would instantly become one of the biggest stories of the season.
While any of the Guardians, Rangers, Diamondbacks Giants and Reds making the postseason at this point would of course be incredible, there is one scenario that I, a neutral observer, think would be the most compelling.
Why I want the Cincinnati Reds to make the postseason:
1. Terry Francona
The Reds hiring Terry Francona to be their new manager was one of the most pleasant surprises of this past offseason. Francona had stepped away from baseball following the 2023 season to focus on his health, but after just one year away from the game has made his triumphant return.
Francona has had one of the most successful managerial careers in baseball history and is one of the most beloved figures in the sport. In 2004, Francona reversed the curse and led the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years. He brought the Red Sox back to the World Series and won another championship in 2007. With a fraction of the money he had to work with in Boston, he helped turn the Guardians into a perennial contender. Francona made the postseason six out of his 11 years in Cleveland, including a World Series trip in 2016.
People around baseball were thrilled to see Tito back in the dugout. His track record with young players, easygoing nature, postseason success and decades of experience made him a perfect fit for this upstart Reds team looking to finally contend. The only other skipper that comes close to Francona’s postseason pedigree currently managing right now is Bruce Bochy with the Rangers. It will be difficult to count any Francona-managed team out if they are able to make it in.
The Reds have not made the postseason since the COVID-shortened 2020 season (where they went 31-29 and got swept in the Wild Card round). Before that, their last postseason appearance was in 2013. It would be pure baseball theater to have Francona, in his first year with the Reds, finally help them win a few games in October.
2. The Reds bought at the trade deadline
Just like any commissioner of a major sports league, Rob Manfred is not usually the most popular guy (Exhibit A, B, and C via Trevor May). But, one decision he has made that has been almost universally well-received is expanding the postseason. One of the most significant benefits of the 12-team, three-Wild Card format is that so many more teams are playing meaningful baseball deep into the regular season.
What happens when a team is playing meaningful baseball at the Trade Deadline? They buy. Looking at the National League Wild Card race, the Diamondbacks sold hard, shipping off Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor and Merrill Kelly. Despite adding Rafael Devers well before the deadline in June, the Giants also sold. They moved pieces like Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval and Mike Yastrzemski.
On the other hand, the Reds made a few meaningful additions, bringing in Ke’Bryan Hayes to be their everyday third baseman, Miguel Andujar to DH and Zack Littell to man a spot in the rotation. While Hayes’ offense has never been his calling card, his numbers at the plate have noticeably improved since joining the Reds and he has continued to play elite defense at the hot corner. Andujar has quietly been one of the best hitters since coming over to Cincinnati with a .950 OPS in 26 games. While Littell’s numbers have not been flashy, his presence in the rotation has allowed guys like Nick Martinez and Chase Burns to shift roles and bolster the bullpen.
The more times teams like the Reds successfully gamble at the deadline, the more aggressive teams will be going forward. It is always more fun when more teams are actively trying to improve, and the Reds can show that it can pay off.
3. A national spotlight for the Reds’ young talent
It is safe to say that the majority of people who are reading this and who are subscribed to Trevor May’s Substack are familiar with Elly De La Cruz. You do not need the Reds to make the postseason in order to appreciate the ridiculous things he does on a baseball field. But, you are not the average fan.
While De La Cruz has struggled as of late, forcing Francona to drop him in the Reds’ lineup, he is still arguably the most exciting player to watch in all of baseball. He can hit 450+ foot home runs, steal bases at will and throw 99 mph bullets from the left side of the infield. De Le Cruz is the type of player who you can not keep your eyes off of wherever they are on the field.
The other young star who could thrive in the national spotlight of the postseason for the Reds is Chase Burns, the flamethrowing 22-year-old rookie righty. After beginning his Major League career as a starter, Francona has shifted Burns to the bullpen, comparing the move to what the Rays did in 2008 with then-rookie David Price.
Burns has electrifying swing-and-miss stuff. Armed with a fastball that regularly reaches triple digits, Burns has a dominant 14.4 SO/9 through his first nine MLB appearances (eight starts). Having a pitcher like Burns be able to come out of the bullpen, potentially pitch multiple innings and be counted on for strikeouts is an incredibly valuable asset in high-leverage postseason situations.
Superstars are made in October. Give players like De La Cruz and Burns a national spotlight and they could quickly become household names.
4. It’s fun when small markets do well!
Something that has always confused me is when sports fans root for the financial interests of a league. A recent example of this was during this year’s NBA Playoffs when the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals. Yes, Oklahoma City and Indiana are two of the NBA’s smallest markets, but there were countless other storylines that made this a very compelling Finals matchup. Instead of enjoying what turned out to be a captivating, back-and-forth seven-game series, some fans wished that bigger-market teams like the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics or Golden State Warriors were playing instead.
As a fan, why do you care about a small difference in television viewership? Of course teams like the Giants or Mets would draw more eyes than the Reds, but what’s the difference to the average consumer? The money is not coming out of your pocket. MLB is still an incredibly profitable business and would still make an unfathomable amount of money with any potential postseason matchup.
More so than other sports, in baseball, any team can win on any given night against any opponent. One of the best things about baseball’s postseason is the unpredictability and the amount of success underdogs have had. Think about the 2023 Rangers or the 2019 Nationals. Yes, Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers, Aaron Judge and the Yankees and Juan Soto and the Mets are always entertaining and would be what most of the executives within MLB would want. But what about Jose Ramirez and the Guardians, Tarik Skubal and the Tigers, Corbin Carroll and the Diamondbacks and yes, Elly De La Cruz and the Reds?