Reds 2019 season at 100% mark

Reds' last 1/5 of the season showed a 14-18 finish; team with an overall 75-87 W-L record, which is eight games better than 2018. Pythag with dramatic improvement from -123 last year to -10. Reds were 29-27 against teams under .500 and 46-60 against teams at or above .500. Reflects a tough schedule with 106 games against clubs at or above .500. Reds 41-40 at home, 34-47 away, and 24-33 in one-run games. Reds played most one-run games in MLB. Reds were exactly at .500 against both NL East and NL West, 9-11 in interleague, but 33-43 against NL Central. Reds averaged 4.3 runs per game, while allowing 4.4 runs. Reds team was twelfth in NL in runs scored, while allowing the third fewest runs in league.

Offense - Reds had reached .749 team OPS last time, but that declined to a final .736. NL average OPS was .753. Injuries, trades impacted offense, although the addition of Aquino later in season was a positive. Reds finished .244/.315/.422/.736. That's 12th (NL) in BA and OBP, 10th in SLG, 12th in OPS. Fangraphs wRC+ for non-pitchers (league average 100) has Reds at 94; last year was 102. Big year for Suarez with 49 homers to set NL record for third basemen. Aquino with 19 homers in 225 PAs. Suarez 103 RBI. Other than Suarez (.930 OPS) and Aquino (.891), only Winker broke .800 (at .830) although limited to 384 PAs. Ervin OPS'd .797. Reds were ninth in OPS among NL teams at home, .756. Reds were 12th in OPS away, at .717.

Pitching - Reds finished fourth in NL with a 4.18 ERA; fifth in FIP at 4.22; and second to Dodgers in X-FIP at 4.10. Reds starters fifth best in league at 4.12 ERA as compared to 2018 Reds starters' ERA of 5.02. Reds relievers this year were 27-33 with fifth best NL ERA (4.28), fourth most saves (46) and 23 blown saves (9th-10th in NL). Reds with big years from Sonny Gray, 11-8, 2.87 ERA in 175 innings, 205 Ks, and Luis Castillo, 15-8, 3.40 ERA in 191 innings, 226 Ks. Solid years from Disco (3.89 ERA in 167 innings) and Roark before his trade. Mahle 3-12 with a 5.14 ERA, but FIP better at 4.66 as well as SIERA (4.16). Bauer struggled as a Red, 6.39 ERA, with 4.85 FIP, 4.06 SIERA. In pen, Lorenzen with 2.92 ERA, 3.66 FIP, also played CF, major contributor this season. Iglesias with 12 K rate, 3.92 FIP, 34 saves, but 3-12 W-L record.

Fielding - Reds finished with -10 Fangraphs Def, 13th in NL. Late season decline in this area. Reds 10th in UZR, but fourth best in DRS, for NL teams. Jose Iglesias 12th in Fangraphs Def among NL position players, Barnhart 20th.

Post-mortem: Reds finally got some decent pitching and the hitting went south. Can't catch a break. Next time.