2022 was a difficult season for the Cincinnati Reds.
After a stunning fire sale during spring training, the Reds lost 100 games and finished tied for last place in the NL Central.
However, the 2023 season has been quite a bit different for the Reds, who ultimately find themselves right in thick of the race for the NL Central title, thanks to the division being relatively weak.
On Tuesday, they completed a 9-8 comeback win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and improved to 28-33 on the season.
On Twitter, Bob Nightengale of USA Today pointed out that the Reds are not too far out of first place after their come-from-behind win over the Dodgers.
The Cincinnati #Reds, who lost 100 games a year ago, stun the #Dodgers in the 9th for a 9-8 comeback victory.
They are now 28-33, just 4.5 games out of 1st place in the NL Central.
And 1-0 in the Elly De La Cruz era.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 7, 2023
The win put the Reds at 4.5 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central.
The Milwaukee Brewers won and took over first place, meaning that the Reds are now five games back in the division.
But with three more months left in the season, five games can be made up quickly, especially in a weak division.
The Reds have won six of their last 10 games and are on a two-game winning streak.
And with the arrivals of Andrew Abbott and Elly De La Cruz, the future appears to be bright in the Queen City.
The Reds last reached the postseason in 2020.
They won 83 games in 2021, but fell short of the playoffs.
While there’s still time left to determine if they’ll be strong enough to reach October, the Reds find themselves in a decent spot as of now, especially compared to where they were in 2022.
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