Wednesday, June 18

CINCINNATI -- The Reds have been hot lately and several players have been involved in the surge. Are any of those efforts worth getting recognized for this year's All-Star Game?

Next week, Major League Baseball will announce which position players will advance beyond Phase 1 of All-Star voting to Phase 2 to determine who will start the July 15 All-Star Game in Atlanta.

“There’s a lot of guys that should be part of an All-Star Game," said 2023 All-Star and Reds left fielder Austin Hays.

Once the final roster is selected, every club gets at least one representative. Reserves and pitchers are selected via player vote and MLB. The Reds have not had more than two players on the National League team since 2018.

"There’s guys in here, for sure, who deserve to be going," closer Emilio Pagán said. "But when it’s Major League Baseball, there are probably other guys who deserve to go, too. As a player, you hope that the guys who go are the guys who are the most deserving.”

Based on that, it's unlikely that Cincinnati will get a lot of representation in Atlanta for the Midsummer Classic. Here's a look at four candidates who deserve a closer look.

SS Elly De La Cruz

De La Cruz, a 2024 All-Star, ranked fourth among NL shortstops in the first balloting update revealed on Monday. Since May 24 (21 games), the 23-year-old has slashed .347/.449/.747 with 8 homers and 17 RBIs.

Among the league leaders in several offensive categories at his position, he has a team-leading 16 homers and 21 stolen bases. That puts De La Cruz on pace for a 30/30 season, which would be the fourth in Reds history. The last time a Reds player went to back-to-back All-Star Games was Joey Votto in 2017-18.

CF TJ Friedl

Enjoying a breakout year, Friedl is batting .288/.381/.439 with eight home runs in 69 games entering Wednesday. His 117 times on base out of the leadoff spot this season is second among all Major Leaguers, behind Shohei Ohtani. He is also among league leaders in times on base, on-base percentage and batting average. Friedl can play small ball with bunts, flash some power and is strong defensively. His home run-robbing catch to end the game vs. the Brewers on June 3 is a signature play this season.

"Selfishly being his teammate, I would love to see him get a nod," Pagán said. "I think he deserves it. That’s going to come down to voters and who picks the reserves because there are other guys who deserve it too. That’s the reality of the situation."

LHP Andrew Abbott

After missing the first two weeks finishing the rehab from a 2024 shoulder injury, Abbott has been the Reds' best starter. In 12 starts, he is 6-1 with a 1.84 ERA. Since May 1, he's been very hard to score against with a 1.35 ERA in nine starts. His best outing was his first complete-game shutout, a three-hitter, at Cleveland on June 10.

“It would be very cool, but that’s not at the forefront of my mind," Abbott said of a potential All-Star selection. “I’m more worried about the next start and trying to win.”

RHP Emilio Pagán

Ranked third in the NL with 17 saves in 19 chances, Pagán has given the Reds more than stability in the closer's role after stepping up a few days into the season. He has converted nine consecutive saves since May 7 and opponents have been held hitless in 18 of his 29 relief appearances while he owns a 3.23 ERA.

"Emilio has been on a really good run," Hays said.

Abbott acknowledged that the decisions are largely out of players' hands -- except for one key aspect: on-field performance.

“Everybody should have recognition. Everybody does something different that helps the team win," Abbott said. "Personally, I don’t think about it. I’m sure others do. There’s voting and a lot of stuff that we don’t control so you’ve just got to go out and perform and the results are what they are.”

Needed to join the Reds rotation earlier this month after Hunter Greene went on the injured list with a right groin strain, 38-year-old left-hander Wade Miley has helped the club. Miley has made two starts, notched one win and Cincinnati won both games he started. 

Including a rust-removing two-inning relief appearance where he allowed four runs to the Brewers on June 4, Miley has a 6.75 ERA. 

On June 9 at Cleveland -- his first start since April 16, 2024, before needing Tommy John surgery, Miley allowed three earned runs, five hits and four walks with two strikeouts as the Reds took a 7-4 win. 

Against the Tigers on Sunday at Comerica Park, Miley got a no-decision after five innings with two earned runs, four hits, two walks and five strikeouts. 

“He actually wanted to go back out, which was a very good sign," manager Terry Francona said. "I do think he was starting to get into a pretty good rhythm. I don’t want to build him up too much, too quick. I think we need to keep an eye on him. He just brings a really good energy since he’s been back.”

Miley retired nine of his last 10 batters and struck out two during a 1-2-3 fifth inning. 

“I felt like I got more into my tempo and more on the attack in the fifth," he said. "Overall, I’m still knocking some rust off. I’m happy that I’m able to go out and keep us in games. Moving in the right direction.”

From June 27-29 at Great American Ball Park, as the Reds play the Padres, a variety of festivities are set for the Big Red Machine 50th Anniversary Reunion Celebration. There are 23 members of the 1975 and '76 World Series winning clubs scheduled to attend -- including Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Tony Perez.

June 28 will be Big Red Machine Night, which will include a pregame celebration of those legendary teams. For more information on tickets, click here.

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