2010s

2010

While putting together their first winning season since 2000 the Reds won 91 games under manager Dusty Baker and reached the playoffs for the first time in 1995 by winning the National League Central division. Cincinnati battled tooth and nail with the Cardinals for most of the first five months of the season but won the division by five games after St. Louis faded down the stretch. The lineup was led by Joey Votto, who was second in the NL with a .324 batting average and was ranked third with both 37 home runs and 113 RBIs. Votto was supported by strong seasons from Scott Rolen, Jonny Gomes, Drew Stubbs and Brandon Phillips while Jay Bruce notched a career-high 25 home runs. On the pitching side, Bronson Arroyo won a career-high 17 games while stream of young pitchers like Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood and Logan Ondrusek played pivotal roles. The season also marked the highly anticipated arrival of Cuban Aroldis Chapman, who garnered attention while regularly throwing over 100 mph. The Reds' enjoyable run ended faster than they hoped as they were swept in three games by the Phillies in the NL Division Series.

2011

Despite high expectations after winning their division the previous season, the Reds ended up disappointing with only 79 wins and a third-place finish in the National League Central. On the plus side, starting pitcher Johnny Cueto shook off an early injury and had his best year yet to develop into the staff ace. Second baseman Brandon Phillips displayed spectacular defense on his way to his third NL Gold Glove Award and was joined by first-time winner Joey Votto, who improved enough defensively to also win a Gold Glove. There were some infamous moments as well. Opening Day starter Edinson Volquez struggled and was demoted to Triple-A twice, while Bronson Arroyo smashed the club record by allowing 46 home runs and Drew Stubbs also set a club record by striking out 205 times.

2012

The 2012 season was important not just for the present, but also the future of the Reds as it began when cornerstone players Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips were signed to long term contracts. On the field, the Reds won 97 games and claimed their second National League Central crown in three seasons. It was a year that saw ace Johnny Cueto win a career-best 19 games, Aroldis Chapman become one of the league's best closers while saving 38 games, rookie Todd Frazier break out as a star and Jay Bruce win a Silver Slugger Award while hitting 34 homers with 99 RBIs. The club did some of its best work while its best player, Votto, was on the disabled list with an injured knee and went 32-16 in his absence.There were tough times as manager Dusty Baker suffered a minor stroke near the end of the regular season and missed 11 games. After Baker returned, Cincinnati endured a crushing ouster from the NL Division Series to the eventual World Series champion Giants in five games.

2013

Amid myriad injuries, the Reds won 90 games and still finished third behind the Cardinals and Pirates in an ultra-competitive National League Central race. It was a season that saw ace Johnny Cueto, cleanup hitter Ryan Ludwick and relievers Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton all spend large chunks of time on the disabled list. Cincinnati reached the postseason for the third time in four seasons, but this time, it was as the second Wild Card team. Disappointment came again as the Reds were ousted in the one-game playoff at Pittsburgh to end the season on a six-game losing streak. The slide down the stretch cost manager Dusty Baker his job, and pitching coach Bryan Price was promoted to take his place in late October. On July 2 vs. the Giants, pitcher Homer Bailey threw his second-no hitter in less than a year (after also notching one Sept. 28, 2012, at Pittsburgh). Mat Latos picked up the slack from the missing Cueto to go 14-7 with a 3.16 ERA and 210 2/3 innings pitched. Acquired to fill a gap in the leadoff spot, Shin-Soo Choo delivered as he reached safely 300 times and finished second in the league behind Joey Votto with a .423 on-base percentage. Jay Bruce (109 RBIs) and Brandon Phillips (103 RBIs) set new personal bests.

2014

After two consecutive postseason appearances, the Reds fell short of making it three after compiling a 76-win campaign to finish fourth in the NL Central in 2014. As is often the case with disappointing seasons, injuries played a key role. Joey Votto missed 100 games, leaving a large void in the heart of the order that was never quite able to be filled. Devin Mesoraco missed nearly 50 games but still managed to hit 25 home runs with 80 RBIs during a breakout season that earned him an All-Star nod. Also a first-time All-Star, Todd Frazier emerged as a major threat at the plate by leading the team with 29 homers and matching Mesoraco's 80 RBIs. On the pitching side, Johnny Cueto won 20 games, becoming the first Red to do so since Danny Jackson in 1988. His efforts got him to the All-Star game along with Aroldis Chapman who turned in yet another dominant season as a closer. Following the season, the Reds set their sights on replenishing their system with young talent when they traded Mat Latos to the Miami Marlins and Alfredo Simon to the Detroit Tigers. Latos had a 3.25 ERA in 16 starts while Simon was coming off an All-Star season where he won 15 games.

2015

The 2015 season saw the Reds finish in last place for the first time since 1983, ending the longest active stretch out of the cellar among the four major pro sports. Amid the 98 losses, the club began a rebuilding process that it hopes can bring it back to prominence sooner than later. Mainstays like ace Johnny Cueto and rotation-mate Mike Leake were traded for prospects and after the season, so was third baseman Todd Frazier. An all-rookie rotation started the final 64-straight games after July 28, smashing an over 100 year old Major League record. It wasn't all bad, however. First baseman Joey Votto returned to form to finish third in the National League Most Valuable Player vote and Cincinnati successfully hosted the All-Star Game at Great American Ball Park. The biggest highlight of the week: Frazier winning the newly re-formatted Home Run Derby in thrilling fashion on his home field.

2016

A 68-94 record put the Reds at the bottom of the National League Central once again as a rebuilding period entered its second season. The biggest shortcomings came from the pitching staff, which shattered the Major League record for home runs allowed with 258. Reds pitchers also led the Majors in walks allowed and hit batters and was 14th in the NL in ERA. But improvement came during a second half that saw Cincinnati post a 36-37 record after the All-Star break, which provided some optimism and prompted ownership to give manager Bryan Price a one-year extension. Anthony DeSclafani returned from injury in June and helped stabilize the rotation while Brandon Finnegan developed in his first full-season as a starter. One of the biggest surprises was waiver claim Dan Straily emerging with a team-high 14 victories and 191 1/3 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen helped solidify a flimsy bullpen after they also returned from the DL in June. Offensively, left fielder Adam Duvall had a breakout season with 33 home runs and 103 RBIs while first baseman Joey Votto returned to his status as one of the game's best hitters as he became the first Major Leaguer since Ichiro Suzuki in 2004 to hit .400 in the second half. Votto batted .326/.434/.550 overall with 29 home runs and 97 RBIs. The 2016 season marked the departure of longtime right fielder Jay Bruce, who was traded to the Mets as the Reds continued to remake their roster. After the season, president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty stepped aside and general manager Dick Williams assumed control of baseball decision making as Cincinnati looks ahead to its next era.

2017

The Reds rebuilding process continued and the club endured a last-place finish in the NL Central standings while losing 94 games. While the pitching staff - loaded with young arms and saddled by veteran injuries - sputtered and needed 16 different starters to get through the season, the lineup and defense performed strongly. Six different players hit 20 or more home runs and the club had four NL Gold Glove finalists and a first-time winner in catcher Tucker Barnhart. Shortstop Zack Cozart was a NL All-Star for the first time after he was elected as a starter during a breakout season. Joey Votto turned in the best season of his 10-year career while starting all 162 games. Votto was only player in the Major Leagues to produce at least 26 homers and 100 RBIs while hitting at least .300 with an OBP of .400 and a slugging percentage of .500. A waiver claim - Cincinnati native Scooter Gennett - emerged as the surprise of the season with 27 homers - including a stunning June 6 game vs. the Cardinals where he became the first Reds player to hit four home runs in one game. On the mound, rookie starter Luis Castillo jumped from Double-A and was the best of the rotation with a 3.12 ERA in 15 big league starts. Closer Raisel Iglesias saved 28 of 30 games while posting a 2.49 ERA.

2018

A 68-94 record put the Reds at the bottom of the National League Central once again as a rebuilding period entered its second season. The biggest shortcomings came from the pitching staff, but improvement came during a second half that saw Cincinnati post a 36-37 record after the All-Star break, which provided some optimism and prompted ownership to give manager Bryan Price a one-year extension. Anthony DeSclafani returned from injury in June and helped stabilize the rotation while Brandon Finnegan developed in his first full-season as a starter. One of the biggest surprises was waiver claim Dan Straily emerging with a team-high 14 victories and 191 1/3 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen helped solidify a flimsy bullpen after they also returned from the DL in June. Offensively, left fielder Adam Duvall had a breakout season with 33 home runs and 103 RBIs while first baseman Joey Votto returned to his status as one of the game's best hitters as he became the first Major Leaguer since Ichiro Suzuki in 2004 to hit .400 in the second half. Votto batted .326/.434/.550 overall with 29 home runs and 97 RBIs. The 2016 season marked the departure of longtime right fielder Jay Bruce, who was traded to the Mets as the Reds continued to remake their roster. After the season, president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty stepped aside and general manager Dick Williams assumed control of baseball decision making as Cincinnati looks ahead to its next era.

2019

With new manager David Bell at the helm, the Reds saw an eight-win increase in 2019. Unfortunately, that only put them at 75-87, good for fourth place in the National League Central. After digging themselves a hole in 2018 by starting 3-18, the Reds got out of the gates slowly once again in 2019 with a 1-8 start. They tried to play catch-up from there and scuffled their way to 56-59 in early August, but never were able to climb back to .500. The season’s biggest bright spots were starting pitchers Luis Castillo and first-year Red Sonny Gray. Castillo turned in a phenomenal first half of the season, going 8-3 with a 2.29 ERA while earning an All-Star nod. Sonny Gray was named an NL All-Star as well after a strong first half, but the newcomer really found his groove in the second half. Gray went 6-3 with 2.12 ERA in his final 14 starts and finished seventh in Cy Young voting. While Castillo and Gray got much of the attention, Anthony DeSclafani looked like the pitcher the Reds saw pre-injury in 2016 and turned in a 3.49 ERA in the season’s second half. The Reds were setting up nicely for 2020 with their arms and their rotation was bolstered further with the trade deadline addition of Trevor Bauer. Offensively, the story of the year was Eugenio Suárez. The third baseman erupted for 49 home runs, the most ever by a Venezuelan-born player and the third highest total by a player in Reds history. While Suárez’s power captured the attention of Reds Country all year long, the 2019 Reds season cannot be told without mentioning the historic run by rookie Aristides Aquino. “The Punisher” burst on the scene in August with 14 home runs and 33 RBIs and was named the National League Player of the Month and National League Rookie of the Month.