Cactus League, Game 1: Reds vs. Guardians - Preview & How To Watch

The Cincinnati Reds begin their Cactus League campaign this afternoon at home in Goodyear Ballpark against their complex rivals the Cleveland Guardians. It’s the first “real” spring training since 2019 - there’s been a lockout and multi-year global pandemic, if you’ve been under a rock - and for the first time in forever it feels like the Reds are rolling out competitions at almost every single spot on the diamond.

Joey Votto and Nick Senzel are two of the very few rostered position players with experience, and both are working their way back from injuries/surgeries slowly. That means fresh faces galore today and most days going forward, with the roster about as in-flux as its been this generation.

That’s reflected in today’s starting lineup, which will feature what will likely become customary up top (assuming things go swimmingly) followed by a whole pile of uncertainty. The Reds unveiled that on Twitter earlier Saturday.

They’ll be backing Brandon Williamson, who’ll get the start in his quest to break camp as a member of the team’s young, largely unproven starting rotation.

The complete travel roster including the pitchers expected to participate today is listed below courtesy of The Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale. Keep in mind they’ll all be operating under the new rules today, too - pitch clocks, larger bases, a lack of shifting, et al.

First pitch is set for 3:05 PM ET, and you’ll be able to watch in via MLB.tv and on Bally Sports Ohio. Go Reds!