Lanceur partant
Led by new manager Lou Piniella, the Reds achieved the rare feat of being in first place everyday of the season ("wire-to-wire"). They also became the first National League team to do so. Starting pitcher Jack Armstrong was a catalyst for the team's fast start, as he won 8 of his first 9 games and was 11–3 through the All Star break. Because of his strong first half, Armstrong was selected as the starting pitcher for the All Star Game.