The 2023 season has been full of twists and turns already.
Some teams find themselves in uncharted territory.
Few, if any saw the Cincinnati Reds claiming first place in the NL Central by mid-June.
But after their 5-4 comeback win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night, the Reds have taken sole possession of the top spot in the NL Central.
The Milwaukee Brewers fell by a final score of 9-1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which allowed the Reds to take first place in the division.
The Reds haven’t been in first place at this point in a season since 2012, when they won their most recent NL Central title.
On Twitter, Bob Nightengale took note of this rare occurrence.
Now it’s official:
It is June 19 and the Cincinnati #Networks are in 1st place. https://t.co/2P2EY0xij1—Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 20, 2023
The Reds lost 100 games back in 2022, finishing tied for last place in the division with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who also have outperformed expectations this season.
The St. Louis Cardinals were the overwhelming favorites to win the division this year.
However, they sit at the bottom of the division and have essentially switched places with the Reds.
The Reds also got Joey Votto back from the injured list on Monday.
In addition to Votto, the Reds have Spencer Steer, Jonathan India, TJ Friedl, Tyler Stephenson, Elly De La Cruz, and others in their lineup.
They also have a group of young pitchers that they’ve been leaning on.
Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Ben Lively, and Alexis Diaz are all key members of the pitching staff.
But as we move closer to July, it’s the Reds who may in fact be the best team in the NL Central after securing their ninth straight win.
NEXT:
The Reds Shocked The MLB World Over The Weekend
