Tyler Stephenson on Reds; loss vs. Dodgers in NL playoffs
Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson talks about Reds’ loss to Dodgers
The Reds are looking at their playoff ouster as just the beginning, not an end to success for the franchise.The Reds had success, surprises good and bad and hopefully a glimpse of future success in 2025.
LOS ANGELES — The Cincinnati Reds got a joyously soggy hour of champagne in the clubhouse and another day of traveling and pre-playoff pomp to celebrate making the playoffs. Then it was over almost as quickly.
The Reds’ first season under manager Terry Francona was success, failure, angst, pride, sting, thrill and agony all at once by the time it came to an end after 164 games.
“The season doesn’t just wind down. It comes to a crashing halt,” Francona said in the immediate aftermath of the Dodgers’ two-game sweep of the Reds in the first round this week. “And that’s kind of hard sometimes to make your peace with.”
“I thought our group from Day 1 was a special group,” he said. “We did not accomplish what we set out to do. That takes nothing from what me and the coaches feel about those guys.”
A look back at that group this year, and perhaps a glance ahead:
Biggest career leap: Noelvi Marte
Marte looked at times in 2024 like a lost cause, a multi-layered deficit from a first-half suspension for steroids to miserable second half at the plate and in the field. He had a good spring under the new manager but opened in the minors by design in 2025, tasked with earning his way back. He did that and more, becoming one of the team’s most consistent hitters by midseason and making an inspired move from third base to right field that helped the Reds improve two positions when they subsequently acquired Ke’Bryan Hayes in a trade. He never played a game in the outfield in his life until July 20 in New York. On the eve of the playoffs, teammate Gavin Lux predicted Marte will be an All-Star right fielder in 2026. He at least looks like a significant part of their plans for success next year.
Biggest individual disappointment: Matt McLain
After missing all of 2024 with a non-throwing shoulder injury, McLain returned with big hopes for stabilizing the team’s shaky infield defense and handling the No. 2 spot in the lineup. But he struggled all season at the plate, admittedly at times affected by the long layoff, and acknowledges he must earn his playing time next spring, adding he’s determined to do that. A productive showing in the Reds’ playoff cameo can only help. “He never quit. He didn’t pout. Played defense. Probably our best base runner. There’s a reason you stay with guys,” Francona said. “There’s a better player than what his end-of-the-year numbers are gonna be. I think because we were patient, we’re gonna see it.”
Ironman award: Tony Santillan
The burly, hard-throwing right-hander pitched in nearly half the Reds’ games this season, leading the league with 80 appearances (and pitching in one of the two playoff games). He was as consistent as anybody all season in a bullpen that underwent an impressive transformation by the time the Reds were sweating out a September drive to the playoffs, having added 100-mph rookies Connor Phillips, Chase Burns and Zach Maxwell to the relief corps. Santillan was the 2.44-ERA glue of the group all season. Somebody give this man a three-year contract.
Under-the-radar performer: Spencer Steer
Don’t be surprised if Steer’s name pops up during awards time when Gold Glove finalists are announced in a few weeks. After opening the season as the everyday DH because of continued rehab work on his throwing shoulder, he moved to first base, where he spent most of the final five-plus months of the season, improving his skills and earning lofty marks in fielding metrics compared to league peers. The Reds now must decide whether his elite work at one position is more valuable than his versatility. And don’t overlook that bat, despite easily overlooked season numbers. After a rough start in the Reds’ first 20 games as he DH’d and got the shoulder right, Steer finished the season hitting .253 with 20 homers and a .762 OPS over 131 games after getting well enough to move into the field.
Needs an extension: Emilio Pagán
This guy was coming off an injury-hampered season as a setup man as he entered the second year of his two-year contract with the Reds – when Francona warned him during Reds Caravan that he was going to be tired by the end of the year. Making good on the promise, Francona made Pagán his closer in April in the wake of All-Star Alexis Diaz’s continued struggles and after coming up craps on a couple dice rolls on other possibilities. Pagán responded by finishing second in the NL with 32 saves in 38 tries, a 2.88 ERA and a strong desire to return to Cincinnati.
Needs improvement, rest: Elly De La Cruz
The Reds’ two-time All-Star shortstop, their most skilled and electrifying player, didn’t miss a game all season despite dealing with a lengthy quad issue and a death in the family. Along the way, he endured the longest home run drought of his career (just one homer from June 24 to Sept. 19) and led the majors in errors for the second straight year. Regrouping and healing during the offseason should be a big help. Making sure he gets a few scheduled days off next year is a must. And a position change might be necessary if that doesn’t do enough to correct the frequency of errors on routine plays. One area he did make impressive improvement: His strikeout rate has dropped from 33.7% as a rookie to 31.3% last year when he led the league in Ks, to 25.9% this year. The league average is 22.2%.
Needs a change of scenery? Hunter Greene
Greene is a 2024 All-Star who is among the most dominant pitchers in the game when he pitches, earning a place in the very early Cy Young conversation before a Grade 1 groin injury sidelined him for the better part of half the season. He missed most of the final six weeks the previous season because of an elbow bruise after an MRI that he and the team said showed no structural damage. No one but the player can know how his body feels when he’s hurt, and no one else has the right to speculate on a guy’s pain and injury. But Greene has yet to pitch a full season, to make more than 26 starts, and his much anticipated playoff debut buried the Reds early in a two-game sweep by the Dodgers. Whether they’ll win with him, they’ve already had some success winning without him (39-33 this year when he was on the IL), and his trade value could be enormous for a team that isn’t expected to have a big wad of cash to spend on free agents this winter.
Needs a position: Sal Stewart
The high-energy rookie played some first and third since his Sept. 1 debut with mixed results. There was nothing mixed about his bat. He led the team in home runs in September, delivered in the Reds’ brief playoff series, and figures to be firmly in the mix for Francona’s offensive plans in 2026.