The Reds withstood slow starts from Spencer Steer and Matt McLain as well as key injuries to Hunter Greene and Austin Hays.
As the All-Star break approaches, let’s hand out first-half awards for the 2025 Reds.
Team MVP: Elly De La Cruz
He continues to improve. De La Cruz’s at-bat quality, situational hitting, opposite field power and baseball IQ have all looked even better. The one knock on his game in 2025 has been the consistency of his throws, but overall he still makes a tangible impact defensively with his range and with his arm strength.
It still can be taken for granted that the Reds have a player who’s an elite power hitter, is strong across the board at the plate, is one of the fastest players in baseball, has elite range and has a strong arm. De La Cruz is playing the best baseball of his career and is the straw that stirs the drink.
His biggest in-season development has been the way he has figured out how to hit the changeup.
“That’s a big testament to him as a hitter, identifying what his weakness is and maybe what he has been struggling with,” center fielder TJ Friedl said. “Then working on how to get better out that. How to hit that. Now you put the pitcher in a predicament. Now it’s a cat and mouse game. It’s never ending. That’s how it is. You work on your weaknesses, you get better at that and they come at you with something else.”
Pitcher of the first half: Andrew Abbott
He doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he has an uncommon ability to land four pitches for strikes. His spin rates also highlight a dynamic analytical profile of his pitches, and his raw stuff is underrated.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Abbott’s biggest improvements this year have revolved around his routine, his overall strength and his durability. After wearing down during the second half of the season in 2023 and 2024, Abbott is in much better position to run through the finish line in 2025.
“He just pitches,” Lodolo said. “He fills up the zone. The changeup has come a long way. It’s fun to watch. He never gives in. You know what you’re going to get.”
Rookie of the first half: Lyon Richardson
Even though he has been optioned to Triple-A a few times this season, Richardson is currently one of the most trusted high-leverage relievers in the Reds’ bullpen.
It’s easy to forget that this is his first year pitching out of the bullpen. The former top prospect made his big league debut in 2023 for a Reds team that’s rotation depth had been decimated. Richardson debuted ahead of schedule and turned in some nice starts, but he moved to the bullpen after taking a step back in Triple-A in 2024.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Richardson’s changeup is a rare pitch for such a young pitcher, and he also has great velocity.
“With young guys, you’d like to develop and grow,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “(Richardson) is very resilient. But he’s definitely earning that (high-leverage opportunity). He has not been given anything. He has earned everything he has gotten.”
Chase Burns will likely take this crown during the second half of the season.
Reliever of the first half: Tony Santillan
While Emilio Pagán gets the glory and the saves, Santillan is having success as the “fireman” who gets the Reds out of tough jams. He has also established himself as a dynamic eighth-inning reliever.
He has shown the ability to overpower hitters with his fastball, and he doesn’t get flustered in big moments.
“He’s a workhorse,” Friedl said. “We knew what was in there. When I saw that (from him last season), we all knew he was ready to go. To have him setting things up and coming after guys with heaters, it’s fun to watch.”
Most improved: Will Benson
At this point last season, sending Benson down to Triple-A was a consideration. He stayed in the big leagues for the entire 2024 season, but he finished the year with a .187 average. Heading into 2025, Jacob Hurtubise and Blake Dunn made the Opening Day roster ahead of him.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Benson was called back up in May to fill a bench role, but he hit his way back into a regular role in the Reds’ lineup. For a Reds team that needed more production in the outfield, Benson has been valuable. He’s still a bottom-half of the order hitter, but that’s a big leap from how he looked last year when he wasn’t a productive big leaguer.
“He was dying for an opportunity,” Francona said. “A lot of times, you send guys to Triple A and it’s human nature. I don’t want to say pouting. But you know, it’s like getting kicked in the stomach. And he probably did the opposite of that, and he went and played.”
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