When the Cincinnati Reds entered spring training last season, Jonathan India was expected to begin at Triple-A Louisville, Joey Votto was one of the biggest question marks on the roster and Eugenio Suárez was viewed as their best comeback player candidate.
Plenty of players surprised throughout the 2021 season – few people expected Art Warren to become one of the top arms in the bullpen – but here are the seven biggest surprises from last season:
1. Joey Votto’s resurgent season
When it looked like Father Time may have pushed Votto into a decline phase, the 38-year-old fought back with one of the best stretches of his career. He had a midseason, three-game benching in 2020, and he received National League MVP votes in 2021.
Votto finished the season with a .266 batting average, .375 on-base percentage, 36 homers and 99 RBI in 129 games, missing a month with a broken thumb after a slower start. He nearly matched an MLB record by homering in seven straight games. He delighted fans with his comeback season and made teammates laugh with his on-field “Ted Lasso” references.
