The Reds have seen many players play above the expectations on them as well as a couple players playing below these expectations. Who's earned an apology?
It's exciting times for Reds fans here in 2023. They are one of hottest teams in the game as well as being one of the youngest teams. They are playing with a chip on their shoulder as well as some serious swagger.
The youth movement is here as their lineup and pitching staff is filled with first-, second- and third-year players, including three of the NL's top rookies.
But some of these players have been disrespected in the past, whether by fans, media or both. Some of those players have outperformed their disrespect, while other players have yet to earn the apology, they might feel they deserve.
Will Benson has earned an apology from Reds fans after early struggles
Will Benson got off to one of the worst starts to a season that anyone could have imagined. He was hitting under .100 for multiple weeks before the team sent him back down to Triple-A to fine tune his swing, approach, and mentality. There were media outlets that had completely given up on Benson as well as fans that didn't want to see him in a Reds uniform again. After terrorizing Triple-A for a few weeks, peppering 100+ MPH hits across the outfield, Benson was recalled back to Cincinnati.
The return to Cincinnati couldn't have gone any better for the skilled, young outfielder. Since returning from Louisville, he has raised his batting average from .040 to .257 while compiling multiple multi-hit games. He broke out against the Red Sox with a three-hit game, before bursting onto the scene against the Dodgers. Against the Dodgers, Benson slugged his first career home run, a walk off against the Dodgers closer Evan Phillips.
Benson has provided the Reds with excellent base running, energy, an improved ability to hit and good defense. He deserved the second chance with the Reds and he's proving them right again and again for sticking with him after his horrendous start. All the fans that gave up on Benson owe him an apology as he looks to belong in the MLB for the foreseeable future.
Graham Ashcraft hasn't earned an apology from Reds fans yet
In 2022, Graham Ashcraft was incredible for the Reds. He played much better than anybody in the Queen City expected for him to play. He was able to pitch well enough to keep the Reds in almost every one of his starts, holding an ERA below 5 and a WHIP of about 1.4. Ashcraft did so behind the use of three pitches, his slider, his cutter, and his two-seam fastball.
But 2023 hasn't been the same at all. After getting off to a start much like his 2022 season, Ashcraft collapsed. He seemingly abandoned his two-seam fastball, which made him incredibly more predictable and easier to gameplan against. This collapse consisted of Ashcraft allowing 30 earned runs across his last five starts before ending up on the 15-day IL a few weeks ago.
Ashcraft has a lot left to prove before Reds fans issue any apologies his way. This journey will start with the addition of another pitch that can help guide him to be less predictable on the mound. He is expected to come off the IL this weekend to replace the injured Hunter Greene and his first few starts will be indicative of if he is going to be part of the Reds future pitching rotation plans.
Nick Senzel has earned an apology from Reds fans by now
Nick Senzel has received hate over the last few years as he has never lived up to the expectations that came with being one of the top prospects in the entire MLB.
Senzel has fought through a ton of adversity in his MLB career, mainly surrounding injuries. The injuries have ruined any sort of momentum for the utility man. Senzel came to the MLB in tough circumstances, changing positions and taking on a huge role as a young rookie with huge expectations already on him.
Admittingly, he struggled for a few years. But in 2023 he appears to be healthy and finding his role in the MLB.
And he does one thing better than anybody on the Reds and better than anybody in almost all of baseball: hit left-handed pitching. As of June 19, Senzel leads all of the MLB in batting average against lefties, hitting well over .400. He pairs this ability to terrorize southpaws with versatility to play anywhere in the outfield and anywhere in the infield, making him quite a valuable piece to the Reds.
Senzel has received hate and disrespect over the last few years, but the Reds fans finally owe Senzel the apology he deserves.
Wil Myers hasn't earned an apology from Reds fans quite yet
The majority of the roster is young, talented, energetic and years before their prime. This youth movement has brought the Reds to the front of the NL Central race, as their team is firing on all cylinders. One player hasn't been healthy this entire time and many fans worry that he will ruin the energy when he returns. That player is the veteran Wil Myers.
Myers was signed in the offseason, and he was supposed to provide a good veteran outfielder on a team that's a few years away from contending. Flashforward to almost halfway through the season and Myers has been terrible and overpaid and the Reds are in no position to play an aging veteran everyday as they have a young and exciting team and outfield. Myers could find himself on the trade block, but there aren't going to be other teams interested in the veteran.
Wil Myers is far from having earned any sort of apology from Reds fans. Myers is slashing an abysmal line of .189/.257/.283 while holding a negative WAR. He is in the middle of his worst season of his MLB career. He is playing far below his $7.5 million dollar salary for the 2023 season.
Hunter Greene deserves an apology from Reds fans
Hunter Greene has been the ace all season, but Reds fans have continued to find ways to nitpick at his game. He has been critiqued for his "inability to throw more than a fastball" but that has been far from the case, as Baseball Savant shows his slider (.209 BAA) allows a much lower batting average compared to his fastball (.259 BAA). Greene has been critiqued for being just a thrower instead of a pitcher. Greene responded to that critique with six no-hit innings against the Cubs.
After such an incredible game, he was even critiqued for running his pitch count to high, even though he didn't allow a hit or a run in the game, picking up a win in the process.
Greene has never been able to do right in the eyes of some Reds fans, but his recent play has definitely boosted his stock, showing why he deserves an apology from the critiques.
Over the last 28 days, Greene has thrown 23.1 innings, allowing just 13 hits and 6 runs while striking out 31 hitters. His performance has completely silenced all the doubters as he has lowered his season ERA under 4.
The six-year contract extension is looking better and better for the Reds with each passing day.
