De La Cruz was exceptional last year, slashing .259/.339/.471 with 25 home runs, 105 runs scored, 76 RBI, and 67 stolen bases. He’s going to strikeout a lot, and when he’s slumping, it’s going to be bad, but De La Cruz is absolutely electric, and a big-time contributor in numerous fantasy categories. He has a great home park, and the next step in his development is to improve against left-handed pitching (.224 AVG, .661 OPS, 82 wRC+). He’s a game-changer in the stolen base department and will be off the board in the first round of most fantasy baseball drafts.

We didn’t get to see Matt McLain due to a shoulder injury, but he’s played in the Fall League, so he should be there for Opening Day. The team is contemplating moving him to the outfield, which could give him another position to his eligibility that already includes second base and shortstop. Assuming he’s healthy, there might be some rust that needs to be shaken off, but McLain is a professional hitter who should be able to contribute across the board in the top-half of the Cincinnati lineup. He could be a 20/20 or even 25/20 guy with a .270 average this season, and I wouldn’t bat an eye, especially if he can cut back on the strikeouts a bit (28.5 K% in 2023).

Steer is a fantasy baseball manager’s dream, as he has eligibility at numerous positions, and despite his .225 average last season, he was a member of the 20/25 club and had 92 RBI. His .260 BABIP was certainly low, and if you ask me, his batted ball profile looks more appealing than someone who had a .237 xBA. He’s a talented player entering his theoretical prime, and with a rebound in his batting average in 2025, there’s a lot to like with Steer in the heart of the Cincinnati order. I’m certainly bullish on Steer this year, to the tune of a .255 average, 20+ home runs, 20+ stolen bases, and he has a chance to set career highs in both runs scored and RBI.

A thumb fracture and hamstring strain limited Friedl to just 85 games in 2024, and it’s not unrealistic to think that he may have been a bit more banged up than it was led on. After swiping 27 bags on 33 attempts in 2023, he attempted just 10 stolen base attempts last year. He’s missed time due to hamstring injuries in each of the last three seasons, which is obviously a bit concerning. He had a slow start upon returning from his thumb injury, which isn’t all that surprising, so he should be able to hit the ground running in 2025. He’s going to hit atop a potent order in an excellent offensive environment, though I’m not as optimistic as him getting to 25+ stolen bases like he did in 2023. He should be a member of the 15/15 club, and perhaps even 20/15 if he can increase his hard contact, while hitting .245-.260.

A hand/wrist issue limited Encarnacion-Strand to just 29 games last season, never allowing him to fully get into any sort of rhythm. However, over his 29 games played, the 3.3 percent walk rate is less than ideal, and his 48.2 percent ground ball rate is far from ideal in terms of forecasting power output. He needs to cut back on the swing-and-miss in his game and do a better job of staying in the zone, otherwise, his batting average is going to suffer. I’m a bit lower than projections for CES when it comes to his batting average, but I fully believe that he could hit more than 25 home runs with half of his games being played at Great American Ball Park. If he continues to chase, and whiff, I have a hard time seeing him hit higher than .240-.245, but 20-25 home runs is very attainable.

Fraley hit just five home runs last season, but he stole 20+ bases for the second straight season, and he hit a career-best .277. Given that he posted a mere 52 wRC+ against southpaws last season, he figures to see most of his time against right-handed pitching, putting him on the large side of a platoon in the Cincinnati outfield. His overall offensive profile in terms of batted ball quality is far from ideal, and a lack of hard contact combined with a 40+ percent ground ball rate doesn’t really project for increased power output in 2025. Best case scenario, he hits 12-15 home runs this season, but his biggest contributions for fantasy managers will be some cheap speed and a serviceable batting average (.245-.260).

Stephenson’s 19 home runs in 2024 were a career-high, and he also posted career bests in terms of average exit velocity (90.2 mph), and xSLG (.408). He hit more fly balls than past seasons, and he took advantage of his home park (.498 SLG, .223 ISO). While his numbers stayed strong in the second half of the season, his strikeout rate jumped to 29.1 percent, and if that leaks into 2025, that could be a hindrance to him staying above .250. He’s going to get a ton of ABs in Cincy between the DH and catcher spot, and with half of his games in Great American Ball Park, he’s a fine target with a .245-.255 average and 15ish long balls in 2025.

Candelario slashed .225/.279/.429 with 20 home runs and 56 RBI in his first year with the Reds last year, and he has the inside track to the starting third base gig for 2025. He’ll need to hold off Noelvi Marte, which the noise could amplify if Marte has a strong spring and Candelario’s lack of hard contact and the increasing swing-and-miss in his offensive profile continues into 2025. He’s likely more of a .235-.245 hitter with 18-22 home runs this season, but the Reds infield is pretty full, and Marte is waiting in the wings, so he’ll need to produce to hold his spot. It’s a great home park, and the price tag is affordable, but again, there’s some risk with Candelario, aside from just playing time questions as the year progresses.

Greene is primarily a fastball/slider guy, but he did introduce a splitter and curveball last season, albeit used sparingly. I’d like to see him use his splitter more in 2024, as the results last season were solid (.243 BAA, .282 wOBA, 28.4 Whiff%) and it will continue to help him against LHH. His impressive 2024 campaign was basically ended early by elbow soreness, as he pitched just 7 IP (2 GS) after that, but his 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 27.7 percent strikeout rate were highlights from a breakout campaign. There’s some cause for concern coming off a career-high workload and having arm/shoulder issues in two of the last three seasons, as well as the question of just how much better can he get for fantasy purposes? The price point in drafts remains affordable, and he’s in line for double-digit wins this season, while continuing to be elite in the strikeout department. However, expect his ERA to be closer to 3.50 than last year’s 2.75 mark.

Diaz converted 28-of-32 save opportunities last season with a 3.99 ERA (4.57 FIP) and 1.30 WHP. His 22.7 percent strikeout rate was a significant drop from past seasons, as was his 25.8% O-Swing%, 11.0% SwStr, and he allowed a career-high 76.3 percent contact rate. His slider is his best weapon, but when he falls behind, he leans on his fastball, which isn’t his swing-and-miss pitch, and he posted the worst first pitch strike rate of his career last year (54.1%). The Reds will head into the season with Diaz as its closer, but the strikeout rate must rebound, and the ERA get closer to 3.00 for him to be a top-10 fantasy closer in 2025.

Injuries limited to Lodolo to just 115.1 IP (21 GS) last season, and he posted a 4.76 ERA (3.95 FIP) and 1.20 WHIP. It was hard for Lodolo to establish a rhythm, but his 106 Stuff+ and 3.30 K/BB ratio was solid, and he had a six-start stretch from the end of May through June where he posted a 2.57 ERA with a 5-1 record across six starts. He does a good job of keeping the ball in the park, and the biggest issue with Lodolo in 2025 is durability. If he's healthy, he's got a rotation spot with Cincy, and he can be a very intriguing arm for fantasy. He can help your ratios, as he doesn't really walk guys, while posting over one strikeout per inning. Of course, he's a risky target, as injuries have been present for him in his young career, and last year's 21 starts and 115.1 IP were both career highs.

While his strikeout rate didn’t carry over from 2023, Abbott was largely the same pitcher, posting a 3.72 ERA (5.04 FIP) and 1.30 WHIP. He allowed a good bit of hard contact last season, and his fly ball profile makes him vulnerable to home runs, especially in his home park. His stuff doesn’t jump off the page, and he doesn’t get a ton of swings out of the zone, and to be frank, a rough seven starts at the end of the year (5.66 ERA) ballooned some of his numbers. For what it’s worth, he had a 3.06 ERA in the 18 starts prior and allowed more than three earned runs in just two of those 18, compared to 4 or more earned runs in four of his last seven. We’d love to see an increased strikeout rate, which is certainly possible, but if he can keep the ball in the park, an ERA in the low-4s and a new career high in wins is on the table for Abbott in 2025. I like the value and upside at his ADP.

Singer posted a 3.71 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across a career high 179.2 IP in 2024, and he’ll need to sustain his near-50% ground ball rate as he heads to Great American Ball Park. Home runs haven’t really been an issue for Singer in his career (1.08 HR/9), and his ground ball rate (49.2%) has remained steady throughout his entire career. Singer won’t blow anyone away with his Stuff+ metrics, and he’s likely going to reside in the low-20s in terms of his strikeout rate. The veteran righty might want to consider more sinkers and less four-seamers in his new home park, but he has a good team backing him, and 10-12 wins with an ERA in the low-4s seems more than feasible for Singer in 2025.

He went 10-7 across 142.1 IP last season, with a 3.10 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 6.44 K/BB ratio. He doesn't put himself in harm's way, and last year's 1.14 BB/9 was dazzling. Money talks, and Martinez got starter money with his deal this offseason ($21M), so expect the team to give him a chance to be a full-time starter for them in 2025. It is worth noting that his splits were better as a reliever last season, but a 3.84 ERA and 1.12 WHIP as a starter is nothing to scoff at. Of course, he could be a swing guy if needed, but he is a starter you can target to help your team's ratios, and his ability to limit hard contact should help him when pitching in the hitter friendly confines of his home park.

Lowder posted a 1.17 ERA (3.10 FIP) in six starts with the club last season, but a 10.9 percent walk rate pushed his WHIP up to 1.27. That walk rate was nearly double what he put forth in the minors, and the strikeouts completely disappeared at the big-league level (17.2 K%). He also didn’t generate ground balls at the same clip he did in the minors, and while he’s a pretty notable name in terms of up-and-coming pitchers, Cincinnati will likely start him in the minors. However, I don’t envision him being down there long. Keep his name on your radar, as there’s a lot of potential with the 22-year-old righty. Lowder should get about 100 IP with the Reds at the MLB level this year, and he’ll be an upside arm worth rostering when that time comes.

Lowder posted a 1.17 ERA (3.10 FIP) in six starts with the club last season, but a 10.9 percent walk rate pushed his WHIP up to 1.27. That walk rate was nearly double what he put forth in the minors, and the strikeouts completely disappeared at the big-league level (17.2 K%). He also didn’t generate ground balls at the same clip he did in the minors, and while he’s a pretty notable name in terms of up-and-coming pitchers, Cincinnati will likely start him in the minors. However, I don’t envision him being down there long. Keep his name on your radar, as there’s a lot of potential with the 22-year-old righty. Lowder should get about 100 IP with the Reds at the MLB level this year, and he’ll be an upside arm worth rostering when that time comes.

Marte’s beginning to the 2024 season was about as bad as it could get, but he rebounded slightly near the end of the year. It was still a disappointing year for Marte, and with the current logjam in the Cincinnati infield, there’s a real chance he opens the year in the minors. In fact, it’s looking likely that he begins the year in the minors as the team is likely to give Jeimer Candelario the job at the hot corner. Should he get called up, or maybe wins the job out of camp, the 23-year-old still has plenty of potential, but expectations are certainly not as high as 2024, and I don't love the price inside the top 250 players.

A 39.7 percent strikeout rate last season tanked his batting average below the Mendoza Line (.187), and his xBA (.184) was even worse! Cincinnati will deploy him on the large side of a platoon, but if Benson cannot cut down on the strikeouts, his power/speed combo becomes less appealing for fantasy managers. What’s interesting is that he does a really good job staying in the zone (21.1 O-Swing% in 2024), but he just doesn’t make contact (64.1 Contact%, 16.9 SwStr%). He’ll get to double-digit home runs and stolen bases again in 2025, but projecting anything above a .230 batting average is risky business.