Note: Permit us to introduce Jackson Thurnquist, the newest member of the Redleg Nation family. Jackson will be writing regularly here at the Nation throughout the 2018 season. Please make him feel welcome!
Check out the previous installments of our Redleg Nation 2018 Season Preview series:
—Shortstop
Until last year, the Reds never had to look further at second base than Brandon Phillips. With his gold-glove defense and MVP smile, Phillips was the rock of the team for over a decade; in fact, from 1997 to 2017, no player had more plate appearances for the Reds than Phillips.