Reds pitchers and catchers report to spring training
Pitchers and catchers have finally reported to spring training for the Cincinnati Reds, and for the team from the Queen City, they are looking to forget about the disastrous 2014 season and move on to the '15 season.
One way for the Reds to be a top team in the NL Central once again is for starting catcher Devin Mesoraco to produce on the baseball diamond once again, as he did in '14.
In late January, during a Reds Caravan event, Mesoraco spoke to The Highland County Press about the arrival of spring training, his individual season and the disappointment of not reaching the MLB Postseason last year.
"I'm excited, just coming down to it, getting ready to go and working out, hitting, throwing and getting everything ready to go for the season," Mesoraco said. "(Last season) was exciting for me personally. I think a lot of guys definitely hope to have good seasons, but at the end of the day it's a team game, and you want to be able to play into October and get into the playoffs.
"That didn't happen last year for the first time for me, so that was definitely a disappointment, but we can right that ship this year. Losing isn't fun. We were right in it right into the break, and something happened and we just couldn't find any ways to win in the second half. Hopefully go back to playing winning baseball this upcoming year."
Last season, the Reds finished 76-86, fourth in the NL Central, but for Mesoraco individually, he had the best season of his short career.
In '14, Mesoraco batted .273 with a .359 on-base percentage and .534 slugging percentage. His stats also included 54 runs, 25 doubles, 25 home runs and 80 RBIs.
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Those numbers were a part of him being selected to the NL All-Star team, a honor the Punxsutawney, Pa. native appreciated and doesn't take for granted. This season, the MLB All-Star Game will be played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
"It was unbelievable. It was a great experience, and I was very honored to get voted in by Mr. (Mike) Matheny," he said. "Hopefully this upcoming season, for the Reds fans and everyone else … if I can get in, this would be a special year to make it."
Even Reds manager Bryan Price spoke highly of his catcher during the Caravan visit.
"(Last season) was just an opportunity for him to be the everyday guy and be able to play with the comfort of knowing if he has a bad game that he's still going to be in the lineup the next day," Price said. "He did a phenomenal job, not just offensively, but those are the numbers that stand out – the home runs and the run production, the on-base percentage.
"The way he handled our pitching staff, the way he threw – he really was throwing the ball well the second half, in particular – and the way he blocked and moved behind the plate were great improvements from what we've seen in years past. We couldn't be happier with a young guy like him leading our staff."
Projections are a big part of baseball, and for Mesoraco, Baseball Prospectus projects him with a .246 average with 14 home runs, 19 doubles and 49 RBIs in '15.
Even with a projected worse season than what happened in '14, the Reds not only need Mesoraco to produce, but the rest of the team needs to bounce back from where they were a season ago.
"I think we just need to first and foremost get healthy, and secondly, I think we can potentially have a good offensive club," Mesoraco said. "If you look up the lineup, one through eight, that we can roll out there, we can be very dynamic. If everyone just goes and does what they can do and plays the way that they're capable, I think we can have a very good team."