One-third of the 2017 baseball season is in the record books. To the surprise and delight of many, the Cincinnati Reds are 25-30 and within 4 games of first place in the NL Central division.
Because this has taken place alongside the glorious struggles by the Cubs, Cardinals and Pirates, the Reds’ near-.500 start has caused people to wonder whether it’s realistic for the Reds to compete for the postseason in 2017. In fact, manager Bryan Price used the P word just the other day. Such unguarded optimism is a rite of baseball not confined to Opening Day.