As the Major League Baseball season resumes following the All-Star break, certain fan bases will be readjusting their expectations following a wild first half of 2023. Coming off a 100-loss season to lead the division just months later, with reason to believe that success will continue? Some teams’ fans usually only dream about such situations.

For the Cincinnati Reds, it’s their current reality.

After being on the receiving end of jokes for some time, from on-field performance to ownership behavior, the Reds have been one of MLB’s pleasant surprises, entering the second half with a one-game lead in the NL Central. There were hopes that the team would be more competitive compared to 2022, and they showed signs of it as early as Opening Day (despite the loss to the Pirates), but Cincinnati is clearly exceeding expectations.

There had been talk that the ball club had multiple up-and-coming prospects, and for some of the more heralded ones, they have not shied away from the big stage. Matt McLain has made solid contributions to the lineup, while Elly De La Cruz has wowed fans and neutrals alike. Spencer Steer wasn’t the most heralded of the rookie/first-year talent, but he hit the Reds’ first home run of 2023, and hasn’t looked back as he’s made a strong case for NL Rookie of the Year honors. The success of the younger players has in turn relieved pressure on veterans. Joey Votto did account for the winning run in his first appearance of the season, but having been “the man” for the franchise for many years, surely he’s not sad that the workload is now being more evenly distributed.

While the Reds resume play in control of their destiny, the main objective now is to keep that momentum going. As possible as it is that the Reds could win 12 straight again (if not more), so exists the chance of another (or multiple) six-game skids. If the season takes a downward turn, all the goodwill from June will be replaced by more questions.

But it’s difficult to look at the current state of the Reds without a feeling of optimism. They’ve been entertaining to watch, even in defeats, with a group of young players eager to prove they belong in The Show. They only need 13 more wins to guarantee an improvement from 2022, but the bar has now been raised. That said, there is currently joy in the Queen City.