Reds could win a 5th straight series this weekend, which is rarer than you think

And no, I'm not trying to be snarky about the Reds' lack of quality since 2013.  Rarely do you see long streaks of series victories or losses, for any MLB team.

There are exceptions, of course.  The 2001 Seattle Mariners won:
- 9 straight series to open the season with a record of 22-6
- 7 straight from May to June, including a 14-game winning streak
- an insane 14 series in a row from July to September, improving their record from 74-29 to 106-41

The craziest thing about that last streak?  It only improved their winning percentage from .718 to .723!  Unreal.

But getting back to the Reds...

If the Reds manage 1 win on Saturday or Sunday in San Diego, they'll reach 5 straight series victories.  That would tie the following streaks in recent history:

April 2006 - won 5 in a row
September 2008 - won 5 in a row
May 2010 - won 5 in a row
June/July 2010 - won 5 in a row
July/August 2010 - won 5 in a row
May 2011 - won 5 in a row
July 2012 - won 5 in a row
June 2014 - won 5 in a row

To find a streak of series wins LONGER than 5, you have to go back to 1999.  Those exciting (even if ill-fated) Reds won 9 series in a row in July and August.

What about losses?  During that same time period, here are the Reds' series LOSS streaks of 5 or more:

May 2001 - lost 5 in a row
July 2001 - lost 6 in a row
April/May 2005 - lost 6 in a row
May 2007 - lost 8 in a row
June 2007 - lost 6 in a row
July/August 2008 - lost 5 in a row
July/August 2009 - lost 5 in a row
August 2015 - lost 7 in a row

Not any more common than the series winning streaks, but some of them lasted a bit longer.

So, to summarize, the Reds could actually have their longest series winning streak in 17 years if they just win ONE more this weekend (should happen), and somehow take 2 of 3 against St. Louis at GABP (the much more difficult part of this equation).  As unfortunate - if unsurprising - as this season's results have been, they could still accomplish something impressive.

Best Opening Day wins in Reds History

MOST DRAMATIC

1) 2011 - Beat the Brewers, 7-6.  They were down 6-3 heading into the bottom of the 9th after a lackluster start from Edinson Volquez.  At that point, the Reds had only a 4% chance of winning the game.  Then:

- Phillips singled (8%)
- Votto walked (17%)
- Rolen reached on a fielder's choice, everyone safe (31%)
- Bruce K'd (19%)
- Gomes SF, Phillips scored (9%)

And finally, Ramon Hernandez hit a game-winning homer off of closer John Axford with 2 on and 2 out.  It's pretty hard to top a play that adds 91% to your win expectancy.

2) 2005 - Beat the Mets, 7-6.  Cincinnati trailed 6-4 entering the bottom of the 9th.  Pedro Martinez and Paul Wilson both gave up 3 runs in 6 innings, and then Weathers and Mercker gave up 3 more to put the Reds in a hole.  When the Reds came to bat for the final time, they had a 9% chance of victory.  Then:

- Kearns singled (18%)
- Dunn homered to tie it (64%)

And finally, Joe Randa hit a game-winning solo homer off of closer Braden Looper.

3) 1975 - beat the Dodgers, 2-1.  Cincinnati was tied with Los Angeles until the 14th inning.  Both Don Gullett (9.2 IP) and Don Sutton (7) had allowed only 1 run.  As a home team in the 9th and later, win probability is 63%.  Here's what happened in the 14th against reliever Charlie Hough:

- Concepcion single (71%)
- Passed ball (81%)
- Geronimo walk
- Griffey sac bunt (84%)
- Chaney FC, Concepcion out at home (63%)

And finally, George Foster hit a 2-out single to score Geronimo.

Honorable mention:

1988 won 5-4 in 12 innings over St. Louis on Kal Daniels walkoff single with 2 outs (38% wWPA).

1943 won 1-0 in 11 innings over St. Louis.  Johnny Vander Meer pitched the complete game shutout, Max Marshall knocked in Lonny Frey for the winning run. (31% wWPA)

2002 walkoff sac fly by Aaron Boone to beat Cubs 5-4

1945 won 7-6 in 11 innings over Pittsburgh on Dain Clay walkoff single

1990 won 8-4 in 11 innings at Houston to begin a championship season

1923 won 3-2 in 11 innings over St. Louis, Pete Donohue pitched a complete game

MOST DOMINATING

1914 - Beat the Cubs, 10-1.  Rube Benton pitched a complete-game 2-hitter.

1961 - Beat the Cubs, 7-1.  Complete game for Jim O'Toole, and the Reds pounded Glen Hobbie.  Frank Robinson and Wally Post homered.

1980 - Beat the Braves, 9-0.  Complete game, 3-hit shutout for Frank Pastore.  George Foster was 3 for 5 with 1 HR and 4 RBI.  The Reds chased Phil Niekro after 2 innings.

1984 - Beat the Mets, 8-1.  Complete game for Mario Soto, 3 RBI for Eddie Milner.  They knocked Mike Torrez out after 1.1 innings.

2012 - Beat the Marlins, 4-0.  7 shutout innings from Johnny Cueto, and the Reds did just enough against Mark Buehrle (2 runs) and Edward Mujica (2 more).

Thanks to baseball-reference.com, which I used as my primary resource, as usual.

2014 Reds Hall of Fame Candidates

Here is a brief statistical overview of the five candidates for 2014 induction into the Reds Hall of Fame.  You can vote through the end of August at www.RedsMusem.org.

Ken Griffey, Jr. (2000-2008)
6th in OPS as a Red (minimum 500 games) - .876
7th all-time in HRs - 210
WAR doesn't like him - only 47th on Reds all-time position player list

Reggie Sanders (1991-1998)
15th in OPS as a Red (min. 500 G) - .829
19th in SB - 158
20th in HR - 125
20th in WAR - 21.5

Their main difference in value was in the field.  Sanders was 2.0 dWAR, Junior was -7.5.

As for the pitchers...since they were all relievers for most of their careers, we can compare them pretty easily as well.  Of course, some of Graves' stats were brought down by the ridiculous stint he was forced to serve in the rotation.

Saves as a Red:
1) Danny Graves - 182
3) John Franco - 148
5) Jeff Brantley - 88

ERA+ among Reds relievers (min. 200 IP)
3) Brantley - 159
5) Franco - 153
25) Graves - 112

WAR among Reds relievers
1) Franco - 13.0
11) Brantley - 6.8
12) Graves - 6.6

Total appearances as a Reds pitcher:
4) Graves (pitched for us from 1997-2005) - 465
6) Franco (1984-1989) - 393
25) Brantley (1994-1997) - 185


Ultimately, I think the most deserving is Franco.  But I wouldn't be surprised at all to see any of the five get in eventually because:

- Sanders was a well-rounded player with an extended stay on the team, and rates pretty well in WAR
- Griffey may be legendary for going downhill in his time here, but he still has his last name, his previous reputation as a superstar, and he gets some credit for wanting to come play for his hometown team.
- Graves is our all-time saves leader...and as much of a joke as the stat is, you know it affects his chances.
- Everyone knows Cowboy as an announcer (extending his career as part of the Reds organization, which otherwise was by the far the shortest on this list) and that will help him.

Statistics for this post were gathered from MLB.com and baseball-reference.com

Reds get a measure of revenge against struggling Giants

The Reds just completed a dominant four-game series in AT&T Park, and in so doing, completed an equally dominant season series against the defending world champion Giants.

In taking the series 3-1, the Reds scored 31 runs (11, 9, 3, 8).

This was a "first since..." in a number of ways:

1) The first time they've scored 8+ runs three times in a single series since August 2005 (a sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley).

2) Also the first time they've scored 31 runs in a series since 2005 (32 runs against Arizona, 34 runs against Tampa Bay)

3) The first time they've scored 31 runs in a road series since July 2000 at Colorado...and the last time they scored MORE in a road series was May 1999, also at Colorado...a series in which they scored 36 runs thanks mostly to a 24-run outburst fueled by Jeffrey Hammonds (3 HR) and Sean Casey (6 RBI).


The Reds also completed the season series vs. San Francisco with a 6-1 record, and a dominant 45-14 advantage in runs scored.  Plus the no-hitter by Bailey.  

I'd say it went pretty well.  Certainly not well enough to erase the painful memories of the 2012 NLDS (and apparently not well enough to make up ground in the standings either), but quite well indeed.

The best individual performers of the four-game set:

At the plate: Devin Mesoraco (8 for 16, 2 homers, 7 RBI).  Probably the best series of his young career.

Starting pitching: Bronson Arroyo (6 K, 7-hit complete-game shutout in Game 1).  A vintage Bronson performance, keeping the struggling opposing lineup guessing all night - until the final batter, at least...and we all know D-Rob took care of that for him with one of the coolest catches you'll ever see.

Relief: Sam LeCure (2 K in a spotless inning to escape a bases-loaded jam of Leake's making in Game 4).  He has inherited 12 runners this season, and none have scored - best in MLB.

Now, it's on to Los Angeles.  The Reds have actually won 6 of their last 9 in Dodger Stadium, but that immediately followed a 12-game losing streak there.  It's always been a tough place to win, but winning is exactly what they have to do with a 5-game deficit to make up in the division race.

Series finale problems not (completely) bullpen's fault

For the Cincinnati Reds, recent series finales have not been an enjoyable experience.  

For the season, the Reds are 11-11 in the final game of a series (even though their record in those series as a whole is 13-9).  However, they have now lost 5 straight finales, and 7 of the last 9.

Of those 7 losses, 6 were in brutal fashion - they blew a lead of at least 2 runs in each, and lost in the final at-bat in 5 of those 6 (including 4 extra-inning defeats).

It's easy to blame the bullpen, because their recent ineptitude has certainly been a large part of the problem.  With a June ERA of 6.69, they are more than partially responsible for the Reds' 0-4 record in series-finishing games this month.

The narrative in the six crushing finale defeats, all involving significant blown leads and occurring since mid-May, has been as follows:

5/19 at Philadelphia (lost 3-2): Chapman blew it in the 9th, giving up back-to-back homers.

5/26 vs. Chicago (lost 5-4 in 10 innings): Ondrusek melted down to blow the lead, and Hoover lost it in extras.

6/1 at Pittsburgh (lost 5-4 in 11 innings): Broxton had another Pittsburgh disaster to blow the lead, and then Simon couldn't hold on in extras.

6/5 vs. Colorado (lost 12-4): After Villarreal's poor start, the Reds still had a chance - that is, until Simon and Parra yielded 3 runs apiece to put it out of reach.

6/9 vs. St. Louis (lost 11-4 in 10 innings): LeCure blew the lead in the 7th, and Hoover imploded in the 10th.

6/13 at Chicago (lost 6-5 in 14 innings): LeCure blew the lead in the 8th, and Broxton lost it in the 14th.

If the narratives above are in line with your thinking, you would have some strong statistical backing.  After all, the bullpen ERA in the six games listed above was a hideous 8.68 (27 total earned runs in 28 innings pitched).

However, I would submit that the offense deserves equal blame.  To support my case, let me point out the fact that the Reds went scoreless from the time of their biggest lead until the end of the game in all six of the games in question.  

Specifically, here is what the offense managed in each case after racing out to a lead:

5/19 at Philadelphia - 3 straight scoreless innings after leading 2-0
5/26 vs. Chicago - 6 straight scoreless innings after leading 4-0
6/1 at Pittsburgh - 10 straight scoreless innings after leading 4-0
6/5 vs. Colorado - 8 straight scoreless innings after leading 4-1
6/9 vs. St. Louis - 5 straight scoreless innings after leading 4-2
6/13 at Chicago - 8 straight scoreless innings after leading 5-3

If the offense goes into such a prolonged slumber (as if to say, "we've done our job, game over") it puts immense pressure on the pitching staff.  40 straight combined scoreless innings, in my opinion, are of equal consequence relative to the bullpen's failures. 

You might notice that I'm leaving criticism of managerial decisions out of this equation.  That is a deliberate decision on my part because it is impossible to know what would have happened in an alternative universe.  I am of the opinion that Dusty deserves some blame for the way a few games have gone this season, but because there is no way to statistically judge his influence, I choose to keep this discussion simpler: is the hitting or the pitching to blame?

To summarize, I would assign blame as follows:

5/19 at Philadelphia - Chapman (just had a poor game, which is bound to happen now and then)

5/26 vs. Chicago - The offense.  All they had to do was score 1 additional run against the Cubs pen to avoid extras.

6/1 at Pittsburgh - The offense.  10 straight scoreless innings.

6/5 vs. Colorado - The starting pitching.  Forced into action because of Cueto's second injury of the year, Pedro Villarreal never stood much of a chance against the Rockies' powerful lineup.

6/9 vs. St. Louis - The offense and the bullpen are equally to blame for this one.  I'll break my own rule and mention Dusty here too, because excessive (and poorly-executed) bunting played a big role in the Reds not securing this victory.

6/13 at Chicago - The offense.  8 straight scoreless innings.  Even 1 run through those first 7 would've been enough to win it.

At the moment, this is a somewhat alarming trend.  And if the Reds had gone 3-3 in these games - you're bound to lose a few painful ones during a 162-game season, but not THIS many - they would be only a half game behind St. Louis instead of 3.5.  

Three of the losses (at Philadelphia, vs. Colorado, vs. St. Louis) were in deciding games and the other three prevented the Reds from completing a sweep. 

Here's hoping the Reds can turn around their finale fortunes, starting this Sunday at GABP against Milwaukee.

Mat Latos among a dozen early NL Cy Young contenders

The MLB trend toward dominant pitching continues.  In the National League, the average team ERA was 4.49 just seven seasons ago.  It has steadily decreased to a current mark of 3.82.  Along with that team trend, the individual competition for Cy Young Awards has gotten much tougher.

Mat Latos has been amazing lately - with 20 consecutive non-losing starts dating back to last August, he has set a Reds record for any pitcher since at least 1916.  He's 6-0, with a fantastic 2.87 ERA.  The fact that he still might not even be among the top 5 Cy contenders in the league shows just how ridiculously solid the state of MLB pitching is.

I picked the top 12 statistical performers so far (through the day games on June 9th, 2013).  Here they are, ranked in various categories:

Wins:
1) Adam Wainwright 9
1) Jordan Zimmermann 9
1) Patrick Corbin 9
4) Lance Lynn 8
4) Mike Minor 8
6) Shelby Miller 7
6) Cliff Lee 7
8) Mat Latos 6
8) Hyun-Jin Ryu 6
10) Clayton Kershaw 5
11) Matt Harvey 5
12) Travis Wood 5

ERA:
1) Miller 1.91
2) Kershaw 1.93
3) Corbin 1.98
4) Zimmermann 2.00
5) Harvey 2.10
6) Wainwright 2.34
7) Minor 2.44
8) Lee 2.55
9) Wood 2.65
10) Ryu 2.72
11) Lynn 2.76
12) Latos 2.87

WAR:
1) Wainwright 3.8
2) Kershaw 3.4
2) Lee 3.4
4) Miller 3.3
4) Harvey 3.3
6) Corbin 2.9
7) Wood 2.4
8) Zimmermann 2.3
9) Lynn 2.3
10) Minor 1.9
10) Ryu 1.9
12) Latos 1.6

Strikeouts:
1) Harvey 95
2) Wainwright 91
2) Kershaw 91
4) Lee 93
5) Miller 81
6) Minor 78
7) Lynn 76
8) Latos 74
9) Ryu 73
10) Corbin 65
11) Zimmermann 61
12) Wood 56

xFIP:
1) Wainwright 2.53
2) Harvey 2.88
3) Miller 3.10
4) Kershaw 3.21
5) Lee 3.29
6) Ryu 3.42
7) Latos 3.52
8) Zimmermann 3.55
8) Minor 3.55
10) Lynn 3.62
11) Corbin 3.82
12) Wood 4.43
 
Total combined rankings (averaging everything above)
1) Adam Wainwright
2) Shelby Miller
3) Clayton Kershaw
4) Matt Harvey
5) Cliff Lee
6) Patrick Corbin
7) Jordan Zimmermann
8) Mike Minor
9) Lance Lynn
10) Hyun-Jin Ryu 
11) Mat Latos
12) Travis Wood

No matter how you slice it, Latos has been one of the most valuable pitchers to any team in baseball so far.  But he'll have a lot of work to do if he wants to finish with the Cy.

Time for Reds to exorcise interleague demons?

Interleague play hasn't been very kind to the Cincinnati Reds.  

Of course, the new scheduling variation began in 1997, when the Reds were on their second of fourteen straight seasons without reaching the playoffs.  In other words, their results weren't exactly sparkling in any subset of games.  

However, their winning percentage in matchups with AL teams was even worse.  Through last season, the Reds' record in interleague games was 104-131.  At .443, that winning percentage was lower than every MLB team except the Padres (.437) and Pirates (.397).

By year, the Reds have fared as follows:
1997: 9-6
1998: 7-6
1999: 7-8
2000: 7-8
2001: 4-11
2002: 2-10
2003: 7-5
2004: 5-7
2005: 7-8
2006: 6-9
2007: 7-11
2008: 9-6
2009: 6-9
2010: 8-7
2011: 6-12
2012: 7-8

The Reds have never done better than 9-6.  In fact, only the Reds, Cubs and Brewers have failed to record a single 10-win interleague slate.  The biggest reason is that they've only had more than 15 games vs. the AL twice (2007 and 2011) and neither of those were successful years.

Many might jump to the conclusion that the Indians have been the main problem, because the Reds have been stuck with them as their most regular opponent.  While this has certainly been a tougher matchup than what the Cardinals get (the lowly Royals), it has actually been mostly even.  Entering this year, the Reds were 39-42 against Cleveland.

The main problems?  The Mariners (8-1 against the Reds), Red Sox (5-1 against the Reds) and White Sox (14-3 against the Reds).

By division, before this year:

AL East = 1 over .500 (thanks mostly to being 8-1 against the Rays)

AL Central = 16 under .500 (includes going 3-0 against the Brewers in their only interleague meeting)

AL West =  12 under .500

Could this be the year that everything changes?  Already, the Reds are 4-1.  The remaining schedule won't be easy, but the Reds have a strong club this year and should (barring a complete meltdown) finally get to 10 wins.  After all, they will play a total of 20 interleague games this year, thanks to the new alignment and scheduling format.

The games left:
2 at Cleveland (today and tomorrow)
2 at Oakland (June 25-26)
3 at Texas (June 28-30)
3 vs Seattle (July 5-7)
2 vs Oakland (August 6-7)
3 at Houston (September 16-18)

My prediction is that the Reds will win 9 of the 15 remaining games to go 13-7 for the year.  The way things are going in the impressive NL Central standings so far, they certainly can't afford to give away games against any of their opponents. 

The story behind BP's production is more than just opportunity

Many would assert, with some degree of truth, that Brandon Phillips leads the National League in RBI (with 42 entering play on Sunday 5/26) because of increased opportunities.  Votto and Choo have done such an incredible job getting on base (ranking 1st and 3rd in all of MLB for that category so far), that Brandon has had a wealth of chances.

Most runners on base for 2013 National League batters:
1) Brandon Phillips - 170
2) Jay Bruce - 159
3) Hunter Pence - 150
4) Yonder Alonso - 145
5) Zack Cozart - 141

This list tells a couple different stories.  First off, the Reds' offense has been generating a ton of opportunities.  To have 3 of the top 5 in this category is pretty absurd.  However, production is much more than opportunity...because as we all know, the three Reds on this list have had very different levels of success when they've batted with runners on.

Among the 125 batters in MLB who have had at least 100 runners on this season, Brandon ranks 13th in percentage of those runners driven in (20%).  Bruce rates a respectable 15.72%, good for 57th on the list.  Cozart is near the bottom - 109th at only 10.64% of runners driven in.  If you haven't considered this particular statistic before, I would summarize it as follows:

< 9% = terrible
9-11% = poor
12-14% = mediocre
15-17% = good
18-20% = excellent
>20% = outstanding

For his career, Phillips has been a good (but usually not great) producer with runners on.  Here are the percentages, rounded off to the nearest whole numbers:

2006 - 15%
2007 - 14%
2008 - 15%
2009 - 17%
2010 - 12%
2011 - 16%
2012 - 15%
2013 - 20%

Two years stand out - 2013 for success, and 2010 for lack thereof.  The biggest thing that can help you succeed in these situations is extra-base hits.  According to Fangraphs numbers, BP's 2010 isolated slugging percentage was only .155 (third-worst of his Reds career), while he's at .189 this season (second-best).  

At his current pace, Brandon would accumulate 40 doubles (a career high) and 26 homers (second only to his breakout 2007 season).  

Will he sustain this production level?  Maybe not.  But his improved approach and skill at the plate will certainly give him a good chance.  A number of his XBH this season have punctuated lengthy at-bats where he fouled off pitches until he got one to deliver into the gap (or the seats). While his overall pitches seen per plate appearance stat (about 3.7) has not changed this year, he makes the adjustments necessary in big situations, and quite visibly relishes the role of dependable RBI man.

Here's hoping that Brandon keeps it going, because he's on pace for some history.  Only Joe Morgan has ever driven in 100 runs in a season as a Reds second baseman, and he did it just once, with 111 in 1976.  BP is on pace for 138 RBI - that would be the 5th highest single-season total ever by any second baseman in major league baseball.

Statistics from baseballmusings.com, fangraphs.com, mlb.com and espn.com

The 10 most-played matchups in MLB history

(updated 4/7/15)

1) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs (2439 games).  

The Cubs have been around since 1876, and the Pirates since 1882.  

Previous cities:  Both have always been in the same city.

Previous nicknames: The Cubs were previously known as the White Stockings, the Colts, and the Orphans.   The Pirates were previously known as the Alleghenys.

Pittsburgh leads this series 1249 to 1173.

2) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals (2423 games).  

Both have been around since 1882.  

Previous nicknames: The Pirates were previously known as the Alleghenys.  The Cardinals were previously known as the Brown Stockings, Browns, and Perfectos.  

Pittsburgh leads this series 1229 to 1170.

3) San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2411 games). 

The Giants have been around since 1883, and the Dodgers since 1884.

Previous cities:  The Giants were based in New York, and the Dodgers in Brooklyn.

Previous nicknames: The Giants were once known as the Gothams, and the Dodgers had a ridiculous array of nicknames - Atlantics, Grays, Bridegrooms, Grooms, Superbas, and Robins.

San Francisco leads this series 1210 to 1184.

4) Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2375 games).

The Braves franchise has existed since 1876, and the Phillies since 1883.

Previous cities: The Braves were in Boston and Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta.

Previous nicknames: The Braves were previously called the Red Stockings, Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, and Bees.  The Phillies were originally known as the Quakers.


The Braves lead this series 1235 to 1125.

5) Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals (2345 games).

The Cubs have been around since 1876, and the Cardinals since 1882.

Previous cities: Both teams have always been in their respective cities.

Previous nicknames:  The Cubs were known as the White Stockings, Colts and Orphans.  The Cardinals were originally the Brown Stockings, then the Browns, and then the Perfectos. 


The Cubs lead this series 1189 to 1137.

6) San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves (2334 games).

The Braves franchise has existed since 1876, and the Giants since 1883.

Previous cities: The Giants were in New York before moving to San Francisco.  The Braves were in Boston and Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta.

Previous nicknames: The Giants were originally called the Gothams.  The Braves were known as the Red Stockings, Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers and Bees.

The Giants lead this series 1231 to 1077.

7) St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds (2336 games).

The Reds and Cardinals have both existed since 1882.

Previous cities:  Both teams have always been in their respective cities.

Previous nicknames:  The Reds have also been the Red Stockings and Redlegs.  The Cardinals have been the Brown Stockings, Browns and Perfectos.

The Cardinals lead this series 1206 to 1109.

8) Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2334 games).

The Cubs have existed since 1876, and the Phillies since 1883.

Previous cities: Both have always been in the same city.  

Previous nicknames:  The Cubs were previously known as the White Stockings, Colts and Orphans.  The Phillies were originally the Quakers.

The Cubs lead this series 1217 to 1099.

9) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds (2324 games).

The Reds have existed since 1882, and the Dodgers since 1884.

Previous cities:  The Reds have always been in Cincinnati, but the Dodgers were originally in Brooklyn.

Previous nicknames:  The Reds have also been known as the Red Stockings and Redlegs.  The Dodgers have been called the Atlantics, Grays, Bridegrooms, Grooms, Superbas, and Robins.

The Dodgers lead this series 1168 to 1142.


10) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds (2289 games).

The Reds and Pirates have both been around since 1882.

Previous cities: Both teams have always been in their respective cities.

Previous nicknames: The Reds have also been the Red Stockings and Redlegs.  The Pirates were originally the Alleghenys. 

The Pirates lead this series 1145 to 1125. 


Because the earliest American League franchises weren't established until the start of the 20th century, none of them appear on this list.  The most-played rivalries in the AL:

1) Tigers/Indians (2159 games) - Tigers lead 1097-1050

2) Red Sox/Orioles (2157 games) - Red Sox lead 1172-971

3) White Sox/Twins (2156 games) - White Sox lead 1114-1026

4) Yankees/Orioles (2127 games) - Yankees lead 1259-854

5) Red Sox/Yankees (2118) - Yankees lead 1150-954

Note: As usual, baseball-reference.com was the main source for this post.  If you have any questions or corrections, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Post-Reds WAR (since 2000)

Since 2000, the Cincinnati Reds' best-known "one that got away" is, of course, Josh Hamilton.  Many Reds fans still won't shut up about him.  And indeed, he has provided the most total value to his teams since, among all players the Reds lost to trade or free agency in that time period.  Take a look at the list below.  Some of the names might really surprise you.

Notes: Players appearing on this list must have appeared in at least one MLB game for the Reds in the 2000 season or more recently.  Totals are based on baseball-reference.com's wins above replacement.

Top WAR (wins above replacement) accumulators after leaving the Reds:
1) Josh Hamilton (21.7)
2) Ryan Dempster (20.4)
3) Cody Ross (12.0)
4) Edwin Encarnacion (9.1)
5) Bruce Chen (8.3)
6) Russell Branyan (8.2)
7) Kyle Lohse (7.7)
8) Chris Denorfia (7.1)
9) Jose Guillen (6.7)
10) Dmitri Young (6.3)
11) David Ross (5.7)
12) Brady Clark (5.3)
13) Matt Belisle (5.1)
14) Jerry Hairston (5.0)
15) Dennys Reyes (4.6)

I think most Reds fans have been surprised by the performance of Encarnacion, Denorfia and others since their departure - heck, even Chris Dickerson and Adam Rosales have performed decently for their teams, although not well enough to make the list.

Needless to say, this list is skewed toward players who left a handful (or more) of seasons ago.  Here are three players who, given more time, will probably accumulate some strong numbers:

Travis Wood (2.9 total WAR after leaving the Reds)
Yonder Alonso (1.9)
Didi Gregorius (1.7)

Notice that you didn't see some rather famous players listed?  The Reds didn't miss out on much value by letting these guys go:

Sean Casey (-0.2 total WAR after leaving the Reds)
Adam Dunn (-0.7)
Ken Griffey, Jr. (0.2)

Choo changing the entire Reds offense

In 2012, the Cincinnati Reds offense struggled in one very major way.  Only Votto (.474), Hanigan (.365) and Ludwick (.346) got on base consistently.  Here were their OBP ranks by position in MLB:

C - .333 (10th)
1B - .423 (1st)
2B - .306 (22nd)
3B - .304 (23rd)
SS - .284 (25th)
LF - .339 (10th)
CF - .282 (30th)
RF - .320 (21st)
 
Note: Reds pitchers were also above average with a .176 OBP (9th in MLB) but the 9th spot in the order isn't something you rely on for production on a game-to-game basis.

And here are their rankings through 40 games in 2013:

C - .290 (21st)
1B - .455 (1st) - leading all other teams by 37 points
2B - .333 (11th)
3B - .314 (19th)
SS - .250 (28th)
LF - .302 (21st)
CF - .468 (1st) - leading all other teams by 73 points
RF - .303 (19th)

As you can see, the only huge change was in CF.  Votto's OBP is actually lower this year than last, but the team number for first base has improved as a result of him having 100% of the playing time so far this year.  

Choo is almost single-handedly responsible for the team OBP jumping from an abysmal .315 last year (22nd in the league) to .335 in 2013, which now ranks third in baseball.  Even with Cozart's weak bat behind him, Choo is tied for the MLB lead in runs scored (33).  Just imagine the numbers he might be putting up with Ludwick healthy and BP back in the 2-hole...

Reds win one of the most dominating playoff games in franchise history

By the numbers...

Reds win 9-0 shutout
- only the 12th MLB playoff shutout victory by 9 runs or more
- the largest Reds playoff shutout (previous record was 7-0 in 1990 WS game 1)
- only the 55th MLB playoff team pitching game allowing 2 or fewer hits, and the 4th by the Reds
- tied for the largest Reds playoff game winning margin (with 10-1 win in 1995 NLDS game 3)
- the 7th shutout in Reds playoff history, first since 7-0 in 1990 WS game 1
- only the 4th time the Reds have scored 9+ runs in a playoff game

Bronson Arroyo sparkles like a teen vampire
- the first 7+ inning game, allowing 1 or fewer hits, by a Reds pitcher in team playoff history
- only the 6th MLB playoff starting pitching performance of 7+ innings and 1 hit or fewer, 1 walk or fewer
- only the 14th Reds playoff starting pitching game score of 70 or higher

Brandon Phillips and Co. make individual offensive history for a Reds playoff game
- DatDudeBP is now tied for 19th in Reds playoff hits (9) and RBI (5) 
- Ryan Hanigan got his first three career playoff RBI, and Drew Stubbs got his first career playoff RBI
- Ryan Hanigan was only the 17th Reds player ever with 3+ RBI in a playoff game
- Scott Rolen had his 12th career playoff RBI, but first with the Reds

The Reds are now 8-1 all-time in playoff games on the west coast.

Most importantly, they're coming home with a 2-0 lead in the NLDS.

History of the Reds in the Postseason

(updated 4/7/15)

The Cincinnati Reds are widely considered one of the most "history-rich" franchises in baseball.  Unfortunately, the decade of the 1970s was the only one in which the team enjoyed sustained success in the form of postseason appearances.  

Of course, it was more difficult to make it to October baseball in the past.  Until 1969, there was no League Championship Series - only a World Series for the top team in each league.  And the first Division Series (other than its temporary implementation in 1981 strike year) didn't occur until 1995.

The Reds have made it to the playoffs 15 times.  They've won 9 NL pennants (5 by winning a series, 4 by simply having the best regular season record).  

And of course, the Reds have 5 World Championships - 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976 and 1990.

In their 15 appearances, the Reds' records are as follows:

11 series wins, 9 series losses overall

49 game wins, 46 game losses overall

0-1 record in the Wild Card play-in matchup

1 series win, 2 series losses (5-6 game record) in NLDS

5 series wins, 3 series losses (18-14 game record) in NLCS

5 series wins, 4 series losses (26-25 game record) in World Series


The teams the Reds have met, listed by most wins against them:

13-8 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (beat them in NLCS in 1970, 1972, 1990, but swept by them in 1979, lost 2013 play-in)

7-4 vs. Oakland Athletics (lost World Series in 7 games in 1972, swept them in 1990)

5-3 vs. Chicago White Sox (won 1919 "Black Sox Scandal" World Series)

5-8 vs. New York Yankees (lost 1939 and 1961 World Series, won 1976 World Series)

4-3 vs. Detroit Tigers (won 1940 World Series in 7 games)

4-3 vs. Boston Red Sox (won 1975 World Series in 7 games)

3-0 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (won 1995 NLDS)

3-3 vs. Philadelphia Phillies (won 1976 NLCS, lost 2010 NLDS)

2-3 vs. San Francisco Giants (lost 2012 NLDS)

2-3 vs. New York Mets (lost 1973 NLCS)

1-4 vs. Baltimore Orioles (lost 1970 World Series)

0-4 vs. Atlanta Braves (lost 1995 NLCS)

As you can see, the Reds have actually played more playoff games against American League competition (51 games, with a 26-25 record) than against the NL (44 games, with a 23-21 record).  That's because a few of their appearances came before the existence of the NLCS - plus, until 1985, the NLCS was only best-of-five.

Finally, here are the specific series results listed chronologically:

1919 - Won World Series 5-3 vs. Chicago

1939 - Lost World Series 0-4 vs. New York

1940 - Won World Series 4-3 vs. Detroit

1961 - Lost World Series 1-4 vs. New York

1970 - Won NLCS 3-0 vs. Pittsburgh, Lost World Series 1-4 vs. Baltimore

1972 - Won NLCS 3-2 vs. Pittsburgh, Lost World Series 3-4 vs. Oakland

1973 - Lost NLCS 2-3 vs. New York

1975 - Won NLCS 3-0 vs. Pittsburgh, Won World Series 4-3 vs. Boston

1976 - Won NLCS 3-0 vs. Philadelphia, Won World Series 4-0 vs. New York

1979 - Lost NLCS 0-3 vs. Pittsburgh

1990 - Won NLCS 4-2 vs. Pittsburgh, Won World Series 4-0 vs. Oakland

1995 - Won NLDS 3-0 vs. Los Angeles, Lost NLCS 0-4 vs. Atlanta

2010 - Lost NLDS 0-3 vs. Philadelphia

2012 - Lost NLDS 2-3 vs. San Francisco

2013 - Lost Wild Card play-in game to Pittsburgh

Phillips, Arroyo in all the major Reds all-time top 25 lists

Even including players from the 19th century, the names "Brandon Phillips" and "Bronson Arroyo" appear high on the lists for virtually all the main cumulative stats among Reds hitters and pitchers, respectively.

Close behind them, and sure to eventually overtake them in a lot of categories: Joey Votto and Johnny Cueto.

Here are all the major cumulative rankings for active players among all-time Reds hitters and pitchers:

Home Runs (all-time leader: Bench)
16th - Phillips
17th - Bruce
T-18th - Votto

Hits (all-time leader: Rose)
T-21st - Phillips
47th - Votto

Doubles (all-time leader: Rose)
20th - Phillips
23rd - Votto

RBI (all-time leader: Bench)
25th - Phillips
32nd - Votto
49th - Bruce

Stolen bases (all-time leader: McPhee)
25th - Phillips
42nd - Stubbs

Games started (all-time leader: Rixey)
12th - Arroyo
33rd - Cueto
47th - Bailey

Innings pitched (all-time leader: Rixey)
24th - Arroyo
47th - Cueto

Wins (all-time leader: Rixey)
T-22nd - Arroyo
T-39th - Cueto

Strikeouts (all-time leader: Maloney)
12th - Arroyo
22nd - Cueto
36th - Bailey

Cincinnati Reds: August 2012 Summary

The Reds went 19-11 in August, which was their second-best mark of 2012 (behind the 19-7 record in July).  They now sit at 81-52, with the most wins in all of baseball and only a slightly worse winning percentage than the Washington Nationals.  Because both Pittsburgh and St. Louis struggled a bit, they both fell farther behind in the NL Central.  The Reds' lead over Pittsburgh expanded from 3 to 10 games, and their lead over St. Louis from 7 to 9.5 games.
Cincinnati played 8 complete series in August, winning 5 (one sweep at Arizona), losing 2 (one sweep at Milwaukee) and splitting 1 (at Philadelphia).  At the start of the month, they also finished off a winning series at home against San Diego with two wins.  At the end of the month, they won the first game of a series in Houston.

**The Reds already have six different winning streaks of 5+ games this season, and could make it seven with a win on September 1st**

Home record: 10-5 (4-1 to finish their first stand, 5-2 in the second, then lost a series against St. Louis)
Road record: 9-6 (3-4 in the Milwaukee/Chicago trip, 2-2 in Philly, 4-0 so far in Arizona/Houston)

vs East: 4-3
vs Central: 10-8 (a little disappointing)
vs West: 5-0

Overall offensive trends: The offense continued its successful summer, in fact posting its best batting average of the year (.272) in spite of missing Votto for the entire month.  Ludwick, Rolen and Frazier continues to star.  Bruce stepped up after a mediocre July.  Heisey has emerged as a possible hope in CF after Stubbs returned to poor form after his deceiving pre-deadline surge.  The team also slugged an impressive 38 HR in 30 games, with Ludwick and Bruce providing 7 each.


Overall pitching trends: The staff actually had its worst month of the year as a whole, but the numbers were still fairly good, which goes to show how much improvement the organization has had since recent years.  Both the starters (3.96 ERA) and relievers (3.31 ERA) had their worst marks.  There were still some impressive individual performances, and they closed out the month with four straight solid outings on the road.

Individual hitting trends: 

UP significantly from July (20 or more OPS+ points): Cairo +65, Hanigan +55, Bruce +50, Cozart +44, Frazier +30

DOWN significantly from July (20 or more OPS+ points): Paul -163, Mesoraco -96, Valdez -81, Stubbs -67, Ludwick -22

No significant change: Rolen, Heisey, Phillips (all had good months)....Votto (still injured)

New arrivals: Dioner Navarro had only 6 hits but two were key homers.




Individual pitching trends:

UP significantly from July: Latos, Simon, Leake, Arredondo

DOWN significantly from July: LeCure, Marshall, Bailey, Arroyo (only in terms of ERA), Ondrusek

No significant change: Chapman (still dominant), Cueto (still dominant)




New arrivals: Hoover was awesome in his return, trade acquisition Broxton has been pretty solid overall, and Redmond was shaky in his fill-in start


And finally, my "Randy Awards" for the month of August...

RANDY HITTER: Todd Frazier.  The clear favorite for NL Rookie of the Year went .330/.393/.587 with 6 HR, 8 doubles and a team-leading 25 RBI.

Honorable mention: Ryan Ludwick, Jay Bruce

RANDY MOST IMPROVED HITTER: Ryan Hanigan.  A guy with only 19 RBI on the year had 7 in August, including some very key hits (one of them a walk-off).

RANDY STARTER: Johnny Cueto.  Our ace was awesome again...4-1, 2.76, 0.85 WHIP.  38 K and only 7 walks.

Honorable mention: Mat Latos had a 2.61 ERA and insufficient run support.  Bronson Arroyo had 5 wins.

RANDY MOST IMPROVED STARTER: Mike Leake.

RANDY RELIEVER: Aroldis Chapman, again.  After a spotless July, allowed only one run in August.  0.68 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 18 K and 2 walks in 13 IP.  11 for 11 in save opportunities.

RANDY MOST IMPROVED RELIEVER: Jose Arredondo.  After a poor July, posted a 2.61 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in August to return to form.

RANDY NOOB: Dioner Navarro.  Two key and unexpected homers.

RANDY SINGLE-GAME HITTING PERFORMANCE: Brandon Phillips.  He hates the WLBs, and he gave a hell of a performance on August 25th in helping the Reds win at least one game of the home St. Louis series.  BP went 3 for 5 with a homer and 2 important RBI in an 8-2 win.

RANDY SINGLE-GAME PITCHING PERFORMANCE: Mike Leake.  When people looked at the Leake/Dickey matchup on August 15th, they probably didn't expect Leake to dominate it.  But he did.  In that 6-1 win, he tossed a complete game, allowing only 1 run and 4 hits.  Leake struck out 4 and didn't walk a batter.  Meanwhile, the Reds offense went yard multiple times off the knuckleballer in his support.

Top 20 Shutdown Relief Pitching Seasons in MLB History

Only 30 individual relief pitching seasons in MLB history meet all of the following requirements:

- at least 60 innings pitched
- an ERA+ of 250 or higher
- a WHIP of 0.90 or lower
- WAR of 3 or more
- K/BB ratio of 3 or higher

All but four of those occurred since 1990, which isn't surprising because of the increased specialization of relief pitchers, with special emphasis on having a "shutdown closer."

Appearing multiple times on the list:
Bryan Harvey - 1991 with the Angels, 1993 with the Marlins
Craig Kimbrel - 2012 and 2013 with the Braves
Joe Nathan - 2006 with the Twins, 2013 with the Rangers
Mariano Rivera - 2005 and 2008 with the Yankees

I wanted to make a list of the best shutdown seasons ever, factoring in the categories listed above as well as K/9 and OPS+ against.  You might notice (and even, possibly, object) that I'm neglecting saves.  Sorry, but the stat is almost completely meaningless.

Here are my top 20 shutdown relief seasons in MLB history....

1) Craig Kimbrel, 2012 Atlanta Braves
IP: 62.2
ERA+: 399 (4th)
WHIP: 0.654 (3rd)
WAR: 3.3 (24th)
K/9: 16.66 (1st)
K/BB: 8.29 (6th)
OPS+ against: 1 (1st)
Total ranking points: 39
Traditional stats: 3-1, 42 saves, 1.01 ERA

2) Eric Gagne, 2003 Los Angeles Dodgers  
He won the NL Cy Young for this season, and rightfully so.
IP: 82.1
ERA+: 337 (10th on the list)
WHIP: 0.692 (5th)
WAR: 3.6 (14th)
K/9: 14.98 (3rd)
K/BB: 6.85 (7th)
OPS+ against: 4 (2nd)
Total ranking points: 41
Traditional stats: 2-3, 55 saves, 1.20 ERA

3) Koji Uehara, 2013 Boston Red Sox
IP: 74.1
ERA+: 379 (7th)
WHIP: 0.565 (1st)
WAR: 3.6 (18th)
K/9: 12.23 (10th)
K/BB: 11.22 (3rd)
OPS+ against: 8 (3rd)
Total ranking points: 42
Traditional stats: 4-1, 21 saves, 1.09 ERA

4) Mariano Rivera, 2008 New York Yankees.  
Incredibly, he never won a Cy Young.
IP: 70.2
ERA+: 316 (17th)
WHIP: 0.665 (4th)
WAR: 4.3 (3rd)
K/9: 9.81 (21st)
K/BB: 12.83 (2nd)
OPS+ against: 10 (5th)
Total ranking points: 52
Traditional stats: 6-5, 39 saves, 1.40 ERA

5) Jonathan Papelbon, 2006 Boston Red Sox.  
IP: 68.1
ERA+: 517 (3rd)
WHIP: 0.776 (9th)
WAR: 5.0 (2nd)
K/9: 9.88 (20th)
K/BB: 5.77 (12th)
OPS+ against: 18 (12th)
Total ranking points: 58
Traditional stats: 4-2, 35 saves, 0.92 ERA

6) Dennis Eckersley, 1990 Oakland Athletics. 
He won a Cy two years later, but this year was better.
IP: 73.1
ERA+: 603 (2nd)
WHIP: 0.614 (2nd)
WAR: 3.3 (27th)
K/9: 8.96 (26th)
K/BB: 18.25 (1st)
OPS+ against: 13 (6th)
Total ranking points: 64
Traditional stats: 4-2, 48 saves, 0.61 ERA 

7) J.J. Putz, 2007 Seattle Mariners
IP: 71.2
ERA+: 319 (15th)
WHIP: 0.698 (6th)
WAR: 4.0 (8th)
K/9: 10.30 (17th)
K/BB: 6.31 (8th)
OPS+ against: 21 (14th)
Total ranking points: 68
Traditional stats: 6-1, 40 saves, 1.38 ERA

8) Billy Wagner, 1999 Houston Astros
IP: 74.2
ERA+: 287 (23rd)
WHIP: 0.777 (10th)
WAR: 3.8 (11th)
K/9: 14.95 (4th)
K/BB: 5.39 (17th)
OPS+ against: 10 (4th)
Total ranking points: 69
Traditional stats: 4-1, 39 saves, 1.57 ERA

9) Wade Davis, 2014 Kansas City Royals
IP: 72.0
ERA+: 399 (4th)
WHIP: 0.847 (17th)
WAR: 3.7 (16th)
K/9: 13.63 (6th)
K/BB: 4.74 (21st)
OPS+ against: 16 (8th)
Total ranking points: 72
Traditional stats: 9-2, 3 savs, 1.00 ERA

10) Fernando Rodney, 2012 Tampa Bay Rays
IP: 74.2
ERA+: 641 (1st)
WHIP: 0.777 (10th)
WAR: 3.8 (11th)
K/9: 9.16 (24th)
K/BB: 5.07 (19th)
OPS+ against: 18 (10th)
Total ranking points: 75
Traditional stats: 2-2, 48 saves, 0.60 ERA

11) Takashi Saito, 2007 Los Angeles Dodgers
IP: 64.1
ERA+: 319 (16th)
WHIP: 0.715 (7th)
WAR: 3.5 (20th)
K/9: 10.91 (13th)
K/BB: 6.00 (9th)
OPS+ against: 19 (13th)
Total ranking points: 78
Traditional stats: 2-1, 39 saves, 1.40 ERA

12) Rafael Betancourt, 2007 Cleveland Indians
IP: 79.1
ERA+: 307 (21st)
WHIP: 0.756 (8th)
WAR: 4.3 (4th)
K/9: 9.08 (25th)
K/BB: 8.89 (5th)
OPS+ against: 26 (19th)
Total ranking points: 82
Traditional stats: 5-1, 3 saves, 1.47 ERA

13) Bruce Sutter, 1977 Chicago Cubs
Like Eckersley, he won a Cy two years after his true best season.
IP: 107.1
ERA+: 328 (13th)
WHIP: 0.857 (19th)
WAR: 6.5 (1st)
K/9: 10.82 (14th)
K/BB: 5.61 (16th)
OPS+ against: 31 (23rd)
Total ranking points: 86
Traditional stats: 7-3, 31 saves, 1.34 ERA

14) Dellin Betances, 2014 New York Yankees
IP: 90.0
ERA+: 277 (25th)
WHIP: 0.778 (12th)
WAR: 3.7 (15th)
K/9: 13.50 (7th)
K/BB: 5.63 (14th)
OPS+ against: 26 (18th)
Total ranking points: 91
Traditional stats: 5-0, 1 save, 1.40 ERA

15) Joe Nathan, 2006 Minnesota Twins
IP: 68.1
ERA+: 284 (24th)
WHIP: 0.790 (14th)
WAR: 3.3 (25th)
K/9: 12.51 (9th)
K/BB: 5.94 (10th)
OPS+ against: 18 (12th)
Total ranking points: 94
Traditional stats: 7-0, 36 saves, 1.58 ERA

16) Aroldis Chapman, 2012 Cincinnati Reds
IP: 71.2
ERA+: 274 (26th)
WHIP: 0.809 (15th)
WAR: 3.6 (19th)
K/9: 15.32 (2nd)
K/BB: 5.30 (18th)
OPS+ against: 25 (15th)
Total ranking points: 95
Traditional stats: 5-5, 38 stats, 1.51 ERA

17) B.J. Ryan, 2006 Toronto Blue Jays
IP: 72.1
ERA+: 335 (11th)
WHIP: 0.857 (20th)
WAR: 3.5 (21st)
K/9: 10.70 (15th)
K/BB: 4.30 (24th)
OPS+ against: 17 (9th)
Total ranking points: 100
Traditional stats: 2-2, 38 saves, 1.37 ERA

18) Hung-Chih Kuo, 2010 Los Angeles Dodgers
IP: 60
ERA+: 324 (14th)
WHIP: 0.783 (13th)
WAR: 3.1 (29th)
K/9: 10.95 (12th)
K/BB: 4.06 (27th)
OPS+ against: 15 (7th)
Total ranking points: 102
Traditional stats: 3-2, 12 saves, 1.20 ERA

19) Greg Holland, 2013 Kansas City Royals
IP: 67
ERA+: 342 (9th)
WHIP: 0.866 (23rd)
WAR: 3.1 (30th)
K/9: 13.84 (5th)
K/BB: 5.72 (13th)
OPS+ against: 31 (24th)
Total ranking points: 104
Traditional stats: 2-1, 47 saves, 1.21 ERA

20) John Smoltz, 2003 Atlanta Braves
IP: 64.1
ERA+: 385 (6th)
WHIP: 0.870 (25th)
WAR: 3.3 (26th)
K/9: 10.21 (18th)
K/BB: 9.13 (4th)
OPS+ against: 36 (27th)
Total ranking points: 106
Traditional stats: 0-2, 45 saves, 1.12 ERA


Not good enough for the top 20:
1993 Harvey (108 points)
1998 Trevor Hoffman (116 points)
2005 Rivera (117 points)
1991 Harvey (121 points)
1987 Tim Burke (123 points)
1981 Rollie Fingers (125 points)
2013 Kimbrel (130 points)
1998 Michael Jackson (140 points)
2008 Joakim Soria (145 points)
2013 Nathan (149 points)

Johnny Cueto Leading MLB in Wins

After Tuesday's impressive 5-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Johnny Cueto leads MLB in wins with 17.  

Cueto is on pace for 21 wins, which would make him the first Reds pitcher to win 20+ since Danny Jackson in 1988.

Here is the short list of Cincinnati Reds pitchers who have led the NL or MLB in wins for a full season:

Reds All-Time MLB Leaders in Wins:

1923 - Dolf Luque (27 wins)

1939 - Bucky Walters (27 wins)

1943 - Elmer Riddle (21 wins - tied)

1947 - Ewell Blackwell (22 wins)

1981 - Tom Seaver (14 wins - tied)



Reds All-Time NL Leaders in Wins:

1922 - Eppa Rixey (25 wins)

1926 - Pete Donohue (20 wins - tied)

1940 - Bucky Walters (22 wins)

1944 - Bucky Walters (23 wins)

1961 - Joey Jay (21 wins - tied)

1988 - Danny Jackson (23 wins - tied)

2006 - Aaron Harang (16 wins - tied)

Aroldis Chapman, Reds Bullpen Aiming for History

Aroldis Chapman is known for two things - record-breaking heat and record-breaking strikeouts.  The Reds' 2012 bullpen, with a lot of help from Chapman, is on track to post some eye-popping numbers.

1) Chapman currently sits at 16.74 strikeouts per 9 innings.  That would be the highest rate in MLB history for any pitcher appearing in at least 25 games.

Only one other pitcher - Kenley Jansen for the Dodgers in 2011 - has ever topped 16 per 9.  Incidentally, the Braves' Craig Kimbrel is on track for a ridiculous number this year as well.  He has struck out 15.7 per 9 so far.

The Reds' Rob Dibble (in 1992) is one of only 13 previous pitchers ever to strike out more than 14 per 9 innings for a season.

2) The bullpen as a whole has struck out 10.18 batters per 9 innings.  That would be the highest rate in MLB history by any bullpen.

Only the 2010 Braves bullpen (led by Billy Wagner) ever topped 10 strikeouts per 9 innings.  They had a mark of 10.06.  The next-highest totals were posted by the 2011 White Sox and 2001 Cubs - both 9.8 per 9.

Chapman isn't the only one racking up Ks.  The other two guys in the top 3 for innings pitched in the Reds 'pen also have great strikeout rates - Sean Marshall 10.7 and Jose Arredondo 9.8.

3) The bullpen as a whole has an ERA of 2.64.  That is the best in MLB this season (by a fair margin) and it would be the best mark by any team's bullpen since the 2003 Dodgers (led by Eric Gagne's Cy Young-winning effort) posted a 2.46 ERA.

The 1942 St. Louis Cardinals had the lowest bullpen ERA ever (1.75) but the aforementioned '03 Dodgers bullpen had the best mark in comparison to the average bullpen ERA for that specific year (a remarkable 1.7 runs lower than the 2003 average).