Cincinnati Reds
By Marshall Macaluso
If you’ve paid attention to baseball in the past five years, the fact that the Cincinnati Reds haven’t been close to .500 will stand out. They’ve been buried by the powerhouse teams in the National League Central year after year.
Besides Joey Votto, there haven’t been any bright spots on the roster. All of that has potentially changed this season. Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Derek Dietrich, Tanner Roark and Sonny Gray headlined a productive offseason that may have turned the rebuild into a reboot.
While there still might be reason to be skeptical, this new Reds team will be one of the most interesting teams in the MLB. Right off the bat, any team with Yasiel Puig on the roster will generate electricity both on and off the field. His bat and defensive play could provide the spark that the Reds need to be a competitive team.
That’s the theme for the new and improved Reds. The Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals still own the NL Central, but the Cincinnati Reds will compete with the power houses in the division this season.
Even in some games last year, they passed the eye test with Votto, Eugenio Suarez and Tucker Barnhart having decent performances. With Kemp and Dietrich added, the depth in the lineup is quite underrated.
The pitching has potential, but Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark and Luis Castillo have big roles to fill as the top three starters in the rotation. The Reds have a lot of depth and power, but the starting rotation and bullpen could make or break this team.
They’ll be competitive against the top teams in their division, and if they can get some games to fall their way, this Reds club could be surprisingly high in the standings come September.
San Diego Padres
By: Ben Pollard
With many bottom-of-the-league finishes, the Padres of past years resemble the “Trust the Process” era Philadelphia 76ers. Just like it did for the NBA team, the abysmal seasons will soon give way to sustained success, thanks to more than a few key newcomers.
With the addition of Manny Machado and the best farm system in the MLB, the Padres are a team in the National League West that should not be overlooked.
Ten Padres prospects were on the MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 before this season, including No. 2 prospect, Fernando Tatis Jr., who started at shortstop for the team on Opening Day. The remaining nine prospects could join the team as the season progresses.
Tatis Jr. is only 20 years old, and his numbers from last season with the San Antonio Missions, the Padres’ AA affiliate, prove his undeniable talent. As a member of the Missions, Tatis Jr. had a .286 batting average and .507 slugging percentage in 88 games.
Six of the 10 total Padres prospects on the Top 100 list are pitchers, a welcoming sight for the organization. The lack of bullpen depth has been one of San Diego’s biggest issues in recent years.
MacKenzie Gore, the team’s top pitching prospect, has a fastball that ranges between 93 and 96 mph, a developing breaking ball and a slider that sits in the low 80 mph range. He is finally healthy after being plagued by a blister on his throwing hand for most of last season.
In addition to countless young prospects and a potentially strong bullpen, bona fide superstar Manny Machado is now the team’s third baseman. The future is now for the San Diego Padres. With their young, talented prospects and Machado’s skillset, there is no reason to count the Padres out for 2019.
