The 2014 baseball season has been a very interesting one for the Cincinnati Reds. With a new manager, and injuries to many key players, no one was quite sure what to expect from Cincinnati once Opening Day came around. The Reds have turned into a consistent postseason presence over the last few years, but no one knew if a playoff appearance was what we should be expecting from them this year. With a record under .500 right now, Cincinnati is not a playoff team.
However, the season is far from over, and with no one knowing what the Reds were capable of this year, a few unexpected players have emerged as top players on the team. The biggest two have been Alfredo Simon, relief pitcher-turned-starter, and Brayan Pena, who shares catching duties with Devin Mesoraco. With these two coming out of nowhere to help the Reds this season, the Reds are not far away from postseason contention.
As some of you probably know, Alfredo Simon has played for the Reds since 2012, and has always been a relief pitcher. However, due to Mat Latos’ injury (SIA Profile), Cincinnati needed to fill another spot in their 5-man rotation and Alfredo Simon was called on to do just that. Simon has been a decent pitcher coming out of the bullpen for the Reds, as his ERA in Cincinnati is just under three, and his current ERA as a starting pitcher is 3.03. Simon’s current record is 7-3 this year, so he has pitched well above the expectations.
The other huge surprise coming out of Cincinnati is catcher Brayan Pena. Pena shares the starting catcher role with Devin Mesoraco, who is also having a very successful season. However, many more fans expected Mesoraco to play well. Not many knew what to expect out of Brayan Pena. Pena has certainly exceeded expectations, as in 40 games so far he is hitting .290, with a .318 on-base percentage and a .753 OPS. With a secondary catcher playing this well, Cincinnati has constant consistency behind the plate regardless of who is playing.
2014 has been an up-and-down year for Cincinnati. There are many positives, and negatives as well. There are also growing pains, which was very much expected with a new manager. As this club finds its identity, it is very helpful to have Simon and Pena playing this well. They have been huge boosts this season, which Cincinnati certainly needs. With these two stepping up and making names for themselves, they could really help the Reds make a run as we head into summer.
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