Cincinnati Reds Midseason Report Card
By Adam Hughes
Starting Pitching
Jun 27, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
The rotation has been a surprising bright spot, led by Cy Young candidate Johnny Cueto, who is having his best season by a decent margin. The big boost, of course, has come from Alfredo Simon, a reliever who filled in for Mat Latos when the big righty went down early in the season but who refuses to leave the rotation now. Led by those two, Reds starters are allowing only 3.67 runs per game, which places them sixth in the National League, especially strong for a staff that toils in Great American Ballpark. They’ve also made quality starts in 65% of their appearance, second in baseball behind the Atlanta Braves.
All of this has helped save wear and tear on a spotty middle relief corps and has the Reds in contention despite a sagging offense.
Grade : A-