Read on Twitter
Two things can be simultaneously true:
1. The Reds have been unlucky in some facets.
2. The Reds aren't as good as we thought they'd be.
1. The Reds have been unlucky in some facets.
2. The Reds aren't as good as we thought they'd be.
It's easy to roll your eyes at the notion of bad luck when it seemingly never turns around. Frankly, it's easier and far less painful to say, "this team can't be that unlucky; they're just terrible!" and move on. I get it, and I've felt it at times, too.
And don't get me wrong: Bad luck doesn't fully explain the Reds' struggles in 2020. Some players just haven't performed to expectations (Suarez, Moustakas, Akiyama, Galvis). The Reds have often had just miserable at-bats in big situations (see the Castellanos strikeout tonight).
Chalking things up to bad luck doesn't make the years of losing disappear, nor does it eliminate the accompanying frustration — which has, in some cases, turned to apathy — for many fans.
No, it doesn't mean the front office should sit on their hands and hope for better luck next year. They should be aggressive in making moves that improve the team's clear weaknesses.
But rotten luck has certainly played a factor in the disappointing offense in 2020, and there's ample evidence for it.
