Despite a rough 3-7 start, the 2025 season isn’t over for the Cincinnati Reds.
Social media isn’t reality—many voices online are exaggerated or simply not genuine. Still, even among the real ones, a good number of fans have already bailed on the Reds.
Expectations were higher than this. The season opened with a series loss to the Giants. Then came the Rangers, and after a strong opener, the bats went cold. A four-game series in Milwaukee offered a chance to rebound from 2-4—but the Reds only took one.
Now, a trip to San Francisco looms large. Would losing that series end the season? Hardly. Being five games below .500 with 150 left is hardly fatal. One hot streak—maybe against weaker teams like the White Sox or Rockies—could flip things fast. But it stings that the Giants, who dropped one game to Cincy in the opener, haven’t lost since.
It’s been ugly. Ten games in, the Reds have already been shut out three times and are 1-4 in one-run games. They’re averaging seven strikeouts per game, and only Elly De La Cruz and TJ Friedl are producing offensively. A 35-inning scoreless streak was a gut punch, barely softened by a couple of big-scoring games around it.
If there’s a reason for hope, it’s the starting rotation. Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene, and Brady Singer have all impressed early—combining for a 1.96 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 36.2 innings. Lodolo, despite a low strikeout total, leads in ERA+. These three have given the Reds a shot in each of their six starts, and the team has gone 3-3 in them—winning both of Singer’s. Greene and Lodolo were on the wrong end of two 1-0 losses. Even Nick Martinez, while unspectacular, hasn’t been awful—he’s given up seven runs across 10 innings in two starts that should’ve been winnable.
Still, it feels grim in Cincinnati. Familiar issues remain—like getting thrown out on the basepaths or failing to hit lefties. And fans are exhausted. The Bengals broke through and nearly won a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Reds haven’t advanced in the playoffs in nearly 30 years. Since getting swept in the 1995 NLCS, the Reds have just two playoff wins—both from the 2012 NLDS before they blew a 2-0 lead (ironically, both wins came in San Francisco). In 2010, 2013, and 2020, they bowed out quickly, without much fight.
The frustration is real—and valid.
But patience is still warranted. Austin Hays and Tyler Stephenson will return. Matt McLain should heal up. And rotation upgrades are coming: Andrew Abbott and Rhett Lowder could soon replace Martinez and Spiers. There are reasons to believe things could improve, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.
That said, skepticism is fair. Ownership has shown little interest in spending to build a winner, and every success seems to happen despite their lack of investment.
If the Reds are still floundering at the end of May, go ahead—slam the panic button and look toward trade possibilities. But for now, on April 7, give this young core some time to find its rhythm.
