Cincinnati Reds Grades for Every Player in May

With the Cincinnati Reds being one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball in the month of May, Joey Votto is one of many players on the team who received excellent grades for the month.

The Reds went 19-8 in the month of May and actually lost a game in the standings to the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Most players on the team, especially pitchers, performed extremely well. The staff carried the team throughout the month, and the offense came up with big hits to help out. 

Players were graded based on their all-around game. Position players were graded based on all of the major offensive statistics and how they did in the field. Pitchers were evaluated based on their overall numbers and how consistent they were.

There's no secret that Votto was the best player on the team in May, mainly because he was the best player in the league. What grades did other players receive?

*All stats are courtesy of MLB.com

Ryan Hanigan, Catcher

May stats: .261/.358/.413, 2 HR, 9 RBI

Grade: B

Since coming off the disabled list on May 10, Ryan Hanigan has been very good. He went 3-for-38 in April, but he had two hits in his first game back and has kept it going through the end of the month.

He has a hit in nine of his 14 games in May and has brought some power to the plate. He has hit a pair of three-run homers since returning, both of which have given the Reds the lead that they would keep. After knocking in only two runs in April, he drove in nine May.

Hanigan has always been valued for the way he plays defense. Before his previous two starts, teams scored more than three runs only once this month when Hanigan was behind the plate.

The catcher currently leads the National League by gunning 56 percent of the runners who try to steal. That's an insane rate, and it shows that he hasn't let his early offensive struggles get in the way of his defense.

Cincinnati needs Hanigan to hit the way he did in May for the rest of the season. The bottom of the order has been full of easy outs so far, but a healthy Hanigan could change that.

Devin Mesoraco, Catcher

May stats: .234/.288/.426, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B

Grade: C

With Ryan Hanigan on the shelf, Devin Mesoraco had a chance to prove that he deserved more time behind the plate. He received mixed reviews, but it still doesn't look like his bat is ready for a full-time gig.

He did have a clutch game-tying home run off the bench against Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel, but there wasn't much else to point out on offense for Mesoraco.

Mesoraco needs to show improvement at the plate this season. The Reds are expecting him to be a good bat in the future, and he needs to show that he is capable of hitting in the majors.

The biggest question mark for Mesoraco has always been how well he catches a game. He was getting great results from the pitching staff as a whole in April, but now the starters are starting to shine. He gets to catch Mat Latos and Mike Leake, who have arguably been the team's best pitchers this year.

Mesoraco has plenty of time to grow. He had a chance to impress everyone, and it still looks like he needs to develop on offense. He quieted his critics on defense now that his pitchers have thrown well to him.

Joey Votto, 1B

May stats: .388/.492/.631, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 7 2B, 20 BB

Grade: A+

Where to even begin with Joseph Daniel Votto?

The former NL MVP finished first in the majors in average and runs, second in on-base percentage plus slugging (OPS), third in hits and is among the favorites to win NL Player of the Month.

Votto got on base at least twice in a game in 21 of the 27 games and got a hit in all but five games. He also drew at least one walk in over half of the games. He scored at least one run in 21 games, including a stretch of nine straight games. 

Oh, he also hit a game-winning home run near the end of the month.

Everything that can be said about the month this guy would be an understatement. He got on base in nearly half of his plate appearances. That's insane. 

Not only was he doing well at the plate, but he was strong on defense as well. The former Gold Glove winner has shown the ability to scoop the ball out of the dirt every time. He takes an aggressive approach on defense and covers a lot of ground for a first baseman.

Votto is well on his way to being named the NL MVP for the second time in four years, which is remarkable after having knee surgery last year. Another Gold Glove should be in his future as well.

Brandon Phillips, 2B

May stats: .301/.350/.515, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 7 2B

Grade: A

Had it not been for Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips would have received the highest grade in the lineup.

Votto made life easy on Phillips by getting on base so much. He is tied for the NL lead in RBI because he hits so well with runners in scoring position. He is currently at .423 with runners in scoring position and .666 with the bases loaded.

Whenever Shin-Soo Choo and/or Votto get on, it's almost a guaranteed run with Phillips batting cleanup. He's adjusted well to hitting in the No. 4 spot, and that is where he belongs. A big bat between Votto and Jay Bruce gives the Reds one of the best middle of the lineups in baseball.

Known for his defense, Phillips kept making plays in May. He does have three errors already, but he gets to so many balls that those errors don't even matter. The former Gold Glove winner made arguably the play of the year (by an infielder) in May.

He makes nearly every play, or he at least makes them close. He has the ability to go behind the back or react on the fly. He didn't make those plays, but boy were they close.

Phillips is without question the best defender in the league. He leaves it all on the field, and he is an extremely valuable asset to this team.

Cincinnati has an All-Star at second base. Whether it's at the plate or in the field, Phillips has found a way to get the job done this season.

Zack Cozart, SS

May stats: .278/.305/.392, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 8 2B

Grade: B

For all of the criticism he has received this year, Zack Cozart quietly had a good month of May.

Cozart has had at least one hit in 10 of his last 11 games, and he has four multi-hit games in those 10 games. He has been crushing the ball and has six doubles to show for it in that stretch.

Mark Sheldon of MLB.com took to Twitter to let fans know that Cozart has done well in the No. 2 spot as of late.

"

Funny, Cozart batting 2nd issue been [temporarily] quieted by his hitting well of late, so debate now moves to Frazier/Hannahan at 3B #reds

"

"— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) May 29, 2013"

He's right. If Cozart goes back to hitting .220, the fans will start slamming him again. However, he has shown no signs of slowing down. He is hitting .424 since May 22, and he was the first player to ever get three—and eventually four—hits off Matt Harvey of the New York Mets. 

Cozart has always been a great defender. He continues to play excellent defense, and he will hopefully build on his strong month.

Todd Frazier, 3B

May stats: .220/.340/.305, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 4 2B, 1 3B

Grade: D+

Sorry, Toddfather. May was kind to most Reds players, but Todd Frazier found himself in a prolonged 0-for-19 slump in the middle of the month.

It's really been since the second week of the season, but May was extremely rough for the third baseman.

He hasn't homered since April 24, and he had only three games in May in which he had multiple RBI. He had the fewest extra-base hits in May of the regulars in this lineup.

Strikeouts have become a concern for Frazier. He struck out 23 times in May after 27 in April. It may just be the 'sophomore slump,' but the Reds need someone behind Jay Bruce to hit.

Frazier has done surprisingly well on defense despite his offensive struggles. He has only two errors at third this season, and he has started many key doubles plays. 

Jay Bruce, RF

May stats: .290/.330/.607, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 11 2B, 1 3B

Grade: A

Overshadowed by Votto and Phillips, Jay Bruce had a heck of a month.

Like Phillips, he benefited from Choo and Votto getting on base over 40 percent of the time. He also had Phillips getting on in front of him and moving runners along. 

Bruce led the NL in extra-base hits and was second in RBI for the month. He also is tied for the NL in doubles with 18 on the season.

The two-time All-Star had at least one RBI in eight of nine games and had another streak where he had at least one RBI in five straight games.

He had a hit in 21 games and nine multi-hit games. He reached base in all but one game. It was one of those months where he put the ball in play and went on one of his famous streaks.

Bruce had such a good month that he was able to hit a home run off of Wandy Rodriguez, who he is now 3-for-35 against in his career (video courtesy of MLB.com).

The only downside of May was that the strikeouts kept coming. He struck out 27 times last month, but it was an improvement on the 40 he had in April. Had he cut down on the strikeouts, he would have gotten an even higher grade.

Bruce is a terrific right fielder. Teams have stopped running on him, and he has learned to play the ball off the wall. 

After a slow April, Bruce again took off in May. He silenced his critics, thanks to a Twitter rant at the end of last month. It's probably not related, but he went on an absolute tear after he called out the haters on Twitter.

Fans have learned to just let Bruce play the way he does and the results will come. 

Shin-Soo Choo, CF

May stats: .240/.411/.469, 6 HR, 9 RBI, 4 2B

Grade: C

Anyone want to take a guess who led the Reds in strikeouts during the month of May? If you guessed Jay Bruce, you are wrong. Shin-Soo Choo struck out a whopping 32 times in May, which was tied for the fifth-most in the NL.

He had a great start to the year, but it would've been ridiculous to ask him to hit .337 all year. However, fans don't seem to realize how much he has cooled off and has seen his average take a huge fall.

Choo struck out at least once in all but three games during the month of May and struck out multiple times in a game seven different times. 

He is hitting .153 off lefties this year, which is not what the team needs out of its leadoff hitter. That makes it tough for the team to get on the board early and put teams away.

Despite his low average, Choo is still finding ways to get on base. He walked 23 times and was hit by a pitch five more times, so he hasn't been totally ineffective on offense. For the second straight month, he was hit the most out of anyone in baseball.

The offensive numbers have been an improvement from last year, but his defense needs major work. This year he has already collided with Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Chris Heisey. That's before May was over.

Choo routinely lets up as he approaches the wall, and he has struggled reading the ball off the bat. It won't be an issue until he literally loses a game for the team, but it's a concern going forward.

He has a great arm and has three outfield assists already. Teams are going to learn not to run on him, and his arm will help ease the pain of his miscues in center.

Left Field

May stats:

Xavier Paul: .283/.441/.453, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 2B

Grade: B

Derrick Robinson: .409/.500/.409, 0 HR, 4 RBI

Grade: B

Donald Lutz: .250/.250/.350, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 2B

Grade: C

Left field has been a rotation of three players, but they have done better than expected while Ryan Ludwick and Chris Heisey recover from injuries.

Xavier Paul had a good month of May. He walked 15 times and struck out only seven times. Combine those numbers with the rest of his stats and he was more than adequate as a fill-in.

His defense still needs work, but he hasn't been exposed much in the field. There has been the occasional miscue, but he's held up so far.

Derrick Robinson is one of the more intriguing players on the roster. He is a good fielder, which is why he sees more action than Donald Lutz. Robinson usually replaces Paul late in games, but Robinson can change a game on offense as well.

He executed a suicide squeeze to perfection, and his speed allows him to put pressure on defenses. The only thing he hasn't done so far this year is get an extra-base hit. All 14 of his hits have been singles, but he's at least getting on.

Donald Lutz showed promising signs in his first month in the majors. He got his first home run, first double, first stolen base and knocked in six runs. He will be the odd man out when Heisey returns, but he gives the Reds a big bat off the bench.

The rookie had a six-game hitting streak in May, but he finished the month with only one hit over the final 12 days.

Left field has been an issue for this team since Ludwick went down, but his replacements did a decent job in May. There wasn't much power from the position, but they were able to find ways to get on base.

Rest of the Bench

May stats:

Jack Hannahan: .107/.219/.143, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 2B

Grade: D-

Cesar Izturis: .174/.269/.217, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 2B

Grade: D-

Almost everyone else on the team had a good May, but Jack Hannahan and Cesar Izturis struggled in limited playing time.

Both players have done well in the field, which is a big reason as to why the grades weren't lower. 

Izturis had only one hit off the bench in May, and Hannahan did not have one. In 15 games with at least one plate appearance, Hannahan managed to get a hit in two games. He did add four walks, but there wasn't much success at the plate for him.

Izturis got four starts in May, and he managed to get a hit in three of those starts. He does have the ability to lay down bunts, which will help the team in key situations.

Paul, Lutz, Robinson and the backup catcher all saw significant playing time in May. They, for the most part, performed well. The other two members of the bench will need to improve so the Reds have reliable bats for key situations late in games.

Johnny Cueto, P

May stats: 3 GS, 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 20 IP, 8 H, 16 K/7 BB

Grade: A

Johnny Cueto should be 3-0 since returning from the disabled list, but a blown save cost him in one of his starts.

Cueto has allowed only 8 hits in three starts, and he looks like the Johnny Cueto of old. 

He isn't a big strikeout pitcher, but he is always pounding the zone. He did a good job of getting through five against the Mets in his return, but he should continue to improve as he gets more comfortable. As for his latest start against the Pittsburgh Pirates (box score courtesy of MLB.com), he was a couple of controversial calls by the home plate umpire from throwing a no-hitter.

There's been nothing wrong with how he has pitched this month, which is a bad sign for the rest of the league.

Cincinnati has its ace back, and he is dealing right now. Any concerns about how he would pitch after the injury have been put to rest.

Mat Latos, P

May stats: 5 GS, 3-0, 4.45 ERA, 32.1 IP, 32 H, 25 K/12 BB

Grade: B-

Mat Latos historically has a bad April and then rebounds. This year he had a phenomenal April and took a slight step back in May.

Latos could have very easily been 5-0 in May, but a blown save and a poor finish to a start cost him two additional wins. His record looks good, but he had only two quality starts in the month.

The right-hander allowed seven runs in six innings and won a game. The Reds struggled to score for him in April, but they scored at least five runs all five of his May starts. That was more than enough for him.

Latos has pitched very well in his last three starts, so it looks like he is coming out of his brief struggles. 

When you have a 19-4 record with a team, you are judged at a high level. Latos was still good in May, but there is room for improvement as the year goes on.

With such good numbers early on, Latos could work his way into the NL Cy Young debate.

Bronson Arroyo, P

May stats: 5 GS, 3-2, 3.48 ERA, 31 IP, 32 H, 23 K/8 BB

Grade: B-

Bronson Arroyo improved his ERA from April to May, but he failed to be as consistent in May. 

The veteran had consecutive starts in which he did allow a run and threw 16.1 straight scoreless innings. However, he had two starts that put his team in a tough spot. He allowed at least four runs and failed to get through six innings in each of those starts.

Arroyo managed to get three quality starts in the month, and he did so thanks to great control. He continues to avoid giving out free passes. 

His biggest issue going forward will be consistency. Cincinnati knows how good its pitcher can be, and he will be expected to be a good arm the rest of the season.

This pitching staff has turned it up a notch lately, so any struggles are magnified. 

Homer Bailey, P

May stats: 6 GS, 2-2, 4.75 ERA, 36 IP, 36 K/10 BB

Grade: B+

The trend continues for Homer Bailey. He just continues to improve and has turned into a legitimate No. 1 pitcher.

He was blooped out of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals, but he has turned it up in his last three starts. A late-inning collapse by the bullpen cost him a win, but he's learning how to pitch through little run support.

An ugly inning in Cleveland ruined his numbers in his last start,so don't be fooled. If teams can get to Bailey, it will be for one big inning. He allowed a combined 13 runs in three big innings in May allowed only six runs in his other 33 innings for the month.

The former first-round pick usually gets very little run support but usually keeps his team in the game until they can deliver the final blow. 

Until the Reds can get Bailey some runs early in a game, he's going to continue to feel pressure to be perfect every inning. At this point in his career, he should be able to avoid those big innings. When he does, he is tough to beat.

This grade seems high considering his ERA, but just remember one of the criteria: consistency. He had three bad innings but was consistent the rest of the way.

Mike Leake, P

May stats: 5 GS, 3-1, 1.87 ERA, 33.2 IP, 34 H, 26 K/4 BB

Grade: A

Reds fans, feel free to admit that you were wrong about Mike Leake. With Aroldis Chapman and Tony Cingrani battling with Leake for spots in the rotation, the former first-round pick has stepped up in a big way.

Leake allowed more than two runs in a start only once, and even then he had allowed only two runs through seven. In four other starts, he allowed only three earned runs and was a perfect 3-0. One late mistake against the Cleveland Indians cost him a fourth win.

In his last 14.1 innings, he allowed only eight hits. He walked only four batters all month and has seen an increase in grounders this year. He got at least 10 ground ball outs in every start in May.

For the second straight month, the right-hander allowed only three home runs. He's allowed four home runs in two starts and only two in his other eight starts this year. He has yet to surrender a home run on the road.

Leake now trails only Mat Latos by 0.01 for the team's ERA lead (among qualifiers).

At only 25 years old, Leake is still learning how to get hitters out at this level. He has adjusted well after a disappointing 2012. 

Fans were all over Leake last year and into this year, but he has responded to his critics. It is early in the season still, but Leake is pitching way better than a No. 5 pitcher does. With him as the end of the rotation, there's no reason this team should fall out of contention.

Tony Cingrani, P

May stats: 3 GS, 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 15 IP, 13 H, 13 K/5 BB

Grade: C+

Tony Cingrani was great in April, but he was just a little bit better than an average pitcher in May.

He failed to go past the sixth inning in any of his May starts and had a hard time even getting through five. He ran his pitch count up quickly in two of those starts, which caused him to exit early.

Hitters were still having a hard time hitting him even though he only threw one pitch. His fastball was electrifying, but he needs to be able to throw more than one pitch.

For a rookie, he was very good in his stint in the majors. He never allowed more than five hits in a start, and he was good at blowing hitters away.

Cingrani saw his numbers go down once hitters started figuring out what he was doing, but he was still a good pitcher in May.

Aroldis Chapman, Closer

May stats: 12 G, 1-1, 7 Saves, 2 Blown Saves, 5.06 ERA, 10.2 IP, 11 H, 20 K/7 BB

Grade: C

For one of the few times in his career, Aroldis Chapman was actually hittable for an extended period of time. He didn't look like himself for about three weeks, and his numbers took a beating.

His struggles started in his first appearance of the month against the Chicago Cubs. He was getting hit around and couldn't throw strikes, but J.J. Hoover bailed him out before he blew it.

The Cuban Missile was charged with a tough blown save against the Miami Marlins, but that was only his first one of the season. He blew another save in his next appearance by allowing the bottom of the Philadelphia Phillies' lineup to go back-to-back off him.

He failed to pitch a full inning in any of those appearances, which were the only times he did so all month. The southpaw couldn't even retire a batter against the Phillies.

One reason for his struggles would be how much he relied on his fastball. He was throwing it nearly every pitch. When you can't locate it consistently, you need more than one pitch. He was throwing it 94 to 95 MPH rather than 100, so he couldn't blow it by hitters.

Chapman has a great fastball-slider combination. He threw the nastiest pitch of the season to end a game, so he should be using the slider more. He has started to use it more as of late. He froze the Cubs and Indians to close out games with the pitch.

May was a month to learn from for Chapman. He gets in trouble when he throws his fastball too much, but it's still usually good enough to get the job done. If he continues to work in the slider, he will be unhittable.

Jonathan Broxton, RHP

May stats: 11 G, 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 10 IP, 7 H, 7 K/3 BB

Grade: A-

As ineffective as some may think he has been lately, Jonathan Broxton actually had a very good month.

He was part of the meltdown in Philadelphia, but he held his opponents in check in every other meaningful appearance. He allowed a run with a comfortable lead in two games, but he was putting up zeroes the rest of the month.

Broxton started the month with four straight outings without surrendering a hit. He allowed one hit or fewer in nine of his 11 appearances, and he limited his number of free passes.

The veteran doesn't have overpowering stuff anymore, but he can still hit 95 on the radar gun. His ability to get ground balls will continue to help him out of jams.

Parts of the bullpen were shaky in May, but Broxton did his job to get the ball to Chapman.

Sean Marshall, LHP

May stats: 8 G, 0-1, 4.15 ERA, 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 K/2 BB

Grade: B+

Sean Marshall continues to be strong out of the bullpen, but a shoulder injury prevents him from being used more.

Earlier this month, Marshall went to the disabled list for the second time this year. The first was for shoulder fatigue, but the second trip has been diagnosed as a shoulder sprain.

When he was used in May, he was very good. He allowed only one meaningful run, also in the Phillies series, and another run in a pitching meltdown. 

The southpaw was used mainly to face one or two batters and then exit the game. Part of that could have been because of the injury, but he remained effective in most of his outings.

Marshall's latest injury needs to be dealt with cautiously. When he's healthy, he's tough to hit. His fastball-curveball combination is tough to beat.

The setup man was effective in May, but the grade is a little low because of the limited number of innings he pitched.

Sam LeCure, RHP

May stats: 11 G, 0-0, 0.79 ERA, 11.1 IP, 3 H, 13 K/4 BB

Grade: A+

The best performance out of the bullpen was easily Sam LeCure.

He doesn't have a set role in the bullpen, but he just continues to get the job done. He has mastered the two-seam fastball to come back and hit the corner of the plate.

LeCure allowed one run over two innings in his second appearance of the month and was nearly unhittable the rest of May. He allowed one hit over his next nine appearances and has not allowed one in any of his last five. He has only one walk in his last five games and three in his last nine.

He hasn't allowed a run at home since the first week of the season.

Not only is the right-hander keeping runners off the bases, but he's making sure inherited runners don't cross the plate. He has yet to allow an inherited runner to score this season.

Although it's extremely unlikely, LeCure has pitched like an All-Star all year. He took it to another level in May, and he has turned into a guy the Reds can hand the ball to with a lead in the seventh inning.

J.J. Hoover, RHP

May stats: 12 G, 0-1, 3 Saves, 3.38 ERA, 10.2 IP, 7 H, 10 K/6 BB

Grade: B+

Rookie J.J. Hoover had a shaky outing or two in the month, but he was good for most of the month.

He had only one game in which he allowed more than one hit, but he also went two innings in that outing. Unfortunately for him he also walked two batters in that game and took the loss.

The right-hander did not allow a hit in half of his appearances, and he took on a different role every once in a while.

When Chapman was being overused, Hoover got a few chances to come in and get the save. He was credited with three saves and even bailed Chapman out of a game. Hoover is seen as a potential closer in the future, and he has done well in the opportunities that he has had.

The numbers are impressive this early in his career, and Hoover has the potential to be even better.

Logan Ondrusek, RHP

May stats: 10 G, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 12 IP, 11 H, 9 K/4 BB

Grade: B-

The toughest guy in the bullpen to figure out is Logan Ondrusek. He can be either unhittable, or he gives up a handful of runs. 

He gave up three runs in a game twice last month, once to Atlanta and the other to the Cubs. The latter cost Johnny Cueto and the Reds a win in a game that they had under control all day.

When he was good, batters had trouble getting hits. He allowed only five hits in his other eight appearances and did not allow a run. In those eight appearances, he allowed three walks. The right-hander had four outings without allowing a hit or a walk.

Ondrusek was once a good setup man, but he has had trouble getting hitters out since the middle of May last year. 

May was a little more consistent than April was for Ondrusek, but he still needs to avoid allowing multiple runs in his outings. 

Alfredo Simon, RHP

May stats: 7 G, 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 11.2 IP, 8 H, 13 K/2 BB

Grade: A

Statistically, Alfredo Simon was even better than Sam LeCure. However, LeCure was used more often and in tighter situations.

Simon did not allow an earned run all month, and he was able to eat innings when the starter went out early. That's a good combination when a team is looking to claw back into a game.

The right-hander allowed some hits, but it was his ability to throw strikes that made him so effective. He was able to get out of jams with strikeouts and grounders. 

He was only used in one close game all month, and it didn't phase him. He threw up zeroes in that game and gave the Reds a chance to keep the lead. He did allow an inherited runner to score in his last outing, but the game was already out of hand at that point.

Simon has a defined role: eat innings and keep the team in the game. He was used in relaxed situations, which allowed him to be comfortable on the mound. If he continues to hold teams scoreless, he could be used in more close games.

Manny Parra, LHP

May stats: 3 G, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 K/1 BB

Grade: Incomplete

Not much to say on Manny Parra. He joined the team when Sean Marshall was placed on the disabled list, and he hasn't gotten much action.

He's allowed a few runners in limited action, which is something that needs to change. He is the main lefty in the bullpen until Marshall returns, and the Reds need him to be able to get left-handers out.

Parra has looked good in his most recent appearances, but they have both been in blowouts. It's tough to gauge a pitcher in those situations, especially when he hasn't thrown many innings.