The Cincinnati Reds pitching staff needs a lot of work
While the pieces may be there on offense for the Cincinnati Reds, the same cannot be said for the pitching staff.
The Reds struggles came throughout that pitching staff. They posted a 4.63 ERA, better than only the Marlins in the National League last year, while their 1.404 WHiP was the worst in the NL. Cincinnati could not strike out anyone, ranking 14th with 1258 strikeouts. Combined with command issues, as the Reds issued 532 walks and a league worst 228 homers, and it is not surprising that Cincinnati had so many issues.
Those numbers could improve next year, just based on the players that are still on the roster. Anthony DeSclafani was okay after missing a year and a half, and should be better next season. Luis Castillo was the closest to a league average pitcher in the rotation, posting a 98 ERA+ and striking out 165 batters in 169.2 innings. The bullpen trio of Iglesias, Jared Hughes, and Amir Garrett were excellent, and return next year.
For the rebuild to come to an end, the Reds need to get more from the pitching staff. Castillo is showing progress, but the Reds need more from Tyler Mahle and Sal Romano. However, it may not be a surprise to see Romano move to the bullpen, as he posted a 3.77 ERA and a 1.256 WHiP as a reliever next year.
What can the Cincinnati Reds do to expedite the process? Let’s take a look.