GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Throughout the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse every player has the same goal. Each person just has their own way of saying it.
“Win the World Series, that’s it,” Reds outfielder TJ Friedl said.
“You’re crazy if you don’t want to win the World Series at some point in your career,” Reds Catcher Tyler Stephenson said.
“I want to see us have a parade in Fountain Square at the end of the year,” Reds relief pitcher and Cincinnati native Brent Suter said.
The journey to the pinnacle of baseball starts well before Game 1 of of 162, especially for a team that has not made the playoffs since the 2020 shortened season, and which hasn't made the World Series since its wire-to-wire championship in 1990.
“As a team, especially not doing what we wanted to last year, how do we take that next step in the right direction?” Friedl reflected.
Every Reds player looked back and reflected on what they need to do get better. From guys fighting for a spot on the MLB roster like outfielder Will Benson, he has a straightforward perspective.
“It was pretty simple in theory, just being more aggressive early,” Benson said.
The All-Stars, like Reds top starting pitcher Hunter Greene, had more to say.
“Being able to sustain your strength and consistency through every single start,” Greene said.
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As any big leaguer will tell you, the key to winning is not in the physical aspect of the game, but the mental.
“It’s really hard to do. Trying to stay fully present, and keep that focus the same day in and day out through 162 plus games, is really, really hard,” Greene said.
“We actually had a mental skills coach in college at Nevada, that’s where I started to kind of learn how important the mental side of baseball is, it’s more a mental game than a physical game because you are going to fail more times than you are ever going to succeed in this game,” Friedl said.
Multiple Reds players use a mental performance coach, including outfielder Jake Fraley.
“I think why it’s gotten so big, because guys are no longer staying quiet to what the real struggles are to being within a sport that requires high performance,” Fraley said.
“You’re never going to be 100 percent all the time. You’re going to have games that are down, you are going to have great games that are up. Kind of ride the high when you’re going, and kind of fight through the lows,” Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott said.
Each player has their own method of how to get through the marathon of a season, but the overall goal remains in lockstep.
“In order for us to all win, we need to win together, and we all need to push ourselves to be that best version of ourselves,” Stephenson said.
If the Reds can do that, then just maybe, a dream could come true.
“Just to be standing on the stage with family, friends, teammates, and celebrating with the city, it’s the dream of a lifetime man, it really is,” Suter said.
A dream for the players, and Cincinnati sports fans as a whole.
