Will The Reds Make The Playoffs 2023?

The short answer is Yes. The Reds can make the playoffs if they win their remaining games maintaining the best records in their league or division.

The team began their 2023 journey with a 5-4 loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates but won the next three games, two against Pirates, and one against Cubs.

The first half of the season for the Reds was a cracker of the season as they showcased extravagant performances, including a 12-win streak in June against Houston Astros, Rockies, and Kansas City.

Even though they lost a few games on the last few days before June ended, they ended the month coming back in the winning ways and continued till mid-July.

They had their dominant first half of the season with the younger squad maintaining a win-loss record of 50-41 and were counted as stronger opposition to make the playoffs.

Through, the Reds had their excellent first half of the season but their second half was quite a roller coaster ride as their winning and losing was on a mix.

They started their second half with a series loss against the Brewers and two games against the Giants but bounced back from the defeat winning 5 games in a row.

As of today, they recently lost four out of five games including a recent defeat against the Giants by 4-1. 

Now they had only 29 remaining games in the regular season with the tough games against Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, and Minnesota Twins remaining. 

They will be expecting to bounce back from a 4-1 defeat against the Giants in the first game and focus on the win tomorrow to bring back the form before the break.

The chances are still there for them to make it into MLB playoffs since 2020. The games against those tough opponents might be crucial to get points.

Other remaining games include the games against the St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, and Cleveland Guardians whose playoff path is tough but are pushing hard to make their place secure. 

If the team performs well in those remaining games and regains winning form they can still make the playoffs.

Last Time Reds made playoffs was in 2020 which was their fifth playoff appearance in franchise history since 1991.

The Reds made their playoff appearance in 2020 winning all five consecutive games in the National League including a win against Kansas City Royals making it five in a row which made them move closer to first place in the NL Central division.

The last time before 2020 when they were on the playoffs was in 2013 through Wild Card where they lost 6-2 to Pirates and were eliminated.

During the pandemic season, the Reds finished three out of first with a 31-29 overall record which made them win a wild-card berth in the expanded playoffs.

Cincinnati Reds Playoff History

Here is the Cincinnati Reds' playoff history with only four appearances since 2000. If they qualify in 2023, this would be their fifth playoff appearance after 2000.

Here is the Cincinnati Reds playoff history mentioned below:

• 2020 - NL Wild Card Series, Lost 2-0 to Atlanta Braves
• 2013 - NL Wild Card, Lost 6-2 to Pittsburgh Pirates
• 2012 - NL Divison Series, Lost 3-2 to San Fransisco Giants
• 2010 - NL Divison Series, Lost 3-0 to Philadelphia Phillies
• 1995 - NL Championship Series, Lost 4-0 to Atlanta Braves
• 1995 - NL Divison Series, Won 3-0 to Los Angeles Dodgers
• 1990 - World Series, Won 4-0 to Oakland Athletics 
• 1990 - NL Championship Series, Won 4-2 to Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1979 - NL Championship Series, Lost 3-0 to Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1976 - World Series, Won 4-0 to New York Yankees
• 1976 - NL Championship Series, Won 3-0 to Philadelphia Phillies
• 1975 - World Series, Won 4-3 to Boston Red Sox
• 1975 - NL Championship Series, Won 3-0 to Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1973 - NL Championship Series, Lost 3-2 to New York Mets
• 1972 - World Series, Lost 4-3 to Oakland Athletics
• 1972 - NL Championship Series, Won 3-2 to Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1970 - World Series, Lost 4-1 to Baltimore Orioles
• 1970 - NL Championship Series, Won 3-0 to Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1961 - World Series - Lost 4-1 to New York Yankees
• 1940 - World Series - Won 4-3 to Detroit Tigers
• 1939 - World Series - Lost 4-0 to New York Yankees
• 1919 - World Series - Won 5-3 to Chicago White Sox

Cincinnati Reds magic number is 38 to clinch the division as of 28th August 2023. 

A magic number represents the required number of wins a team needs or the same combination of losses by the present opponent to achieve the title or the playoff spot.

• The total number of games in a season is 162.
• The Reds have played 133 games, so they have won 68 games and lost 65 games.
• The Brewers have played 131 games, so they have won 74 and lost 57 games.
• To clinch the division, the Reds need to finish with at least one more win than the Brewers.
• Therefore, the Red's magic number is 162-68-57+1 =38

It is calculated by deducting the number of wins by your team and the number of losses by your opponents from the total number of games to be played and 1 is added.