Bengals season approaching

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Yankee Beatdown?

After sweeping the Rays in a 3 game series, the Cincinnati Reds managed to win yet another series against arguably, the best team in baseball. The Yankees series was certainly one to raise your blood pressure, as this was the most exciting, as well as frustrating series I have watched this year. Bullpen woes, late inning heroics, and costly errors were a messy combination for both teams during these three games. After taking 5 out of 6 wins against the “All-Mighty” American League East, Cincinnati managed to crumble and lose 2 straight to the Cardinals before the final game was postponed. Baseball is now on break and the Reds season will resume on July 22 against the Cardinals yet again.

Draft Day

July 17th marked the date of the 2022 MLB draft and the Reds managed to have a stellar day, although it is always hard to determine a draft grade with baseball. With the 18th overall pick, Cincinnati selected Cam Collier, a third baseman who was projected to go as high as 6th overall in many mock drafts. Collier is not even eighteen years old, but has shown he is more than capable of playing at the next level. At the 32nd pick, the Reds selected another 3rd baseman from the same school that Alex Rodriguez attended, 18 year old Sal Stewart. Sal Stewart was previously attending Vanderbilt, but he decided to go a different route and has already stated to the Cincinnati community, “Let’s get to work.” To end day one of the draft, Cincinnati added catcher and outfield depth as well and Cincinnati baseball will continue to have some excitement over the next week, as the draft continues and the trade deadline approaches closer.

Half Empty or Half Full

Depending on the type of person you are and how you want to look at this season, the glass can be either “half empty” or “half full.” I might even say many fans are feeling completely empty and the glass has shattered. While there is no denying this season has been a huge let down, we can’t look past the positives as we approach the All Star break. Our young starting core had many innings pitched and are learning what it takes to pitch at the big league level. Cincinnati has also had a standout season from Luis Castillo, which still plays for the Reds as I am typing this article. While many experts and fans are beginning to believe that he is definitely going to be traded before the deadline, his love for Cincinnati makes me hesitant to believe that this ballclub will let him go without a stellar return after botching the Winker and Suarez deal. Brandon Drury has been a great addition to the team as well, as he is having a career year while leading the team in batting average, homeruns, and RBIs. If you asked any fan before the season who would lead the team in these three categories, I don’t believe anyone would have stated Brandon Drury. The return and good health of Nick Senzel has been a bright spot in this dark season as well. Health has not been on his side for the majority of his career, but for the last few weeks, Nick is hitting the baseball as good as anyone in the league.

Bengals Season Approaching

As of July 18th, we are only 8 weeks away from watching Joe Burrow dice up opposing teams with his new and improved offensive line. I can’t remember seeing the city this excited for Bengals football in my lifetime, as this season is certainly a “Superbowl or Bust” type of year. I can nearly hear the growl from Paul Brown Stadium already, but currently, the future of Jessie Bates is weighing down some of the

excitement. Cincinnati made Bates a final offer, but the two failed to reach an agreement before the deadline. Jessie currently has no intention to report to training camp or play on the franchise tag. He is now expected to miss training camp and his time with the Bengals is in “limbo.”

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