Reds lean on results over process during surprising April success

The Cincinnati Reds have come out fighting this season. After making the postseason last year, they had their eyes set on making it again, and have put their right foot forward to start the year. 

They currently find themselves with an 18-10 record, which leads the NL Central. Surprisingly, this is the most competitive division across MLB at this point, being the only division that does not have one team with a losing record. 

The offense has performed well, especially behind Sal Stewart. But it is the bullpen that has emerged as the leading force behind this team, being perfect in games decided by one run or games that enter extra innings. 

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Reds lean on results over process during surprising April success

The bullpen has really stepped up and has been a reason why the Reds are where they currently sit. However, there are some concerns regarding the Reds' stable of arms. 

While they hold the second-lowest ERA across MLB, they hold one of the worst xFIPs. For those who aren't aware, xFIP stands for Expected Fielding Independent Pitching, which estimates a pitcher's performance by stripping away factors they can't control.

It's a tale of two stories, and while Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller ranks Cincinnati's bullpen at No. 3 in his latest power rankings, there are some concerns. 

"Signs point toward impending regression, as the Reds entered play on Sunday with an MLB-best bullpen ERA of 2.59, but a fifth-worst bullpen xFIP of 4.98–and promptly got tagged for five earned runs while blowing a lead against the Detroit Tigers."

Having over a two-run difference between the ERA and xFIP is a red flag. Now, they could keep surprising people, but fans should be ready for that bullpen to take a bit of a hit in how they have performed over the past month.

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