There hasn’t been much about this Reds season that’s easy to recommend. The lineup has been the quietest in the majors, the on-base numbers are worse than anyone else’s, the strikeouts keep piling up, the pitching staff has handed out more walks than every other team, and the record has them buried in last place. Even the ballpark took a hit, landing 22nd in USA Today’s annual ranking of major league stadiums.
Still, the final five weeks aren’t a total write-off. There are a few reasons to keep an eye on Cincinnati, starting with Sal Stewart.
Stewart has put together a season that’s been sometimes historic, and he’s in strong position to win NL Rookie of the Year. The top-hitting rookie in the league isn’t getting the same defensive-analytics love as Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt, but Stewart’s power, smart baserunning, MLB-leading RBIs and defensive versatility could make him the Reds’ ninth ROY winner and first since Jonathan India in 2021.
“He’s a very advanced hitter,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “He uses the whole field.
He has the ability with two strikes to get a little shorter, get on top of balls. He’s strong enough where he gets rewarded when he hits the ball the other way.
“And I think he relishes RBI opportunities, which is huge.”
He’s on pace for numbers that would put him in rare company: 34 home runs, 30 doubles, 15 stolen bases and 122 RBIs. If he finishes anywhere near that line, the debate may come down to what the voters make of the numbers.
Chase Burns gives the Reds another legit reason to watch. He’s 14-2 with a 2.51 ERA, already an All-Star in his first full season, and he’s near the top of the league in ERA, pitchers WAR, strikeouts per nine innings, wins and win-loss percentage. That puts him in the middle of a crowded NL Cy Young race that includes Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Atlanta’s Chris Sale and the Dodgers’ Yosh Yamamoto.
Burns still has as many as seven starts left to build his case, and the schedule is not going to hand him anything. Possible matchups remain against the Cubs, Brewers twice, Dodgers and Braves. The only real question is workload, since the Reds are watching his innings closely after his first full season.
“We’re monitoring it,” team president Nick Krall said. “It’s just trying to make sure that we’re doing what’s best for him.”
The Reds also happen to sit right in the middle of the National League MVP conversation, even if they don’t have a candidate of their own. Their final 28 games include 13 against the Dodgers and Cubs, with one home and one road series still left against each. That means plenty of direct exposure to the race between Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Ohtani was a wrecking ball when the Dodgers swept the Reds in last October’s playoff series, but his overall numbers against Cincinnati are more modest: 14-for-68 with two homers and a .663 OPS in 20 games, and he won’t be pitching. Crow-Armstrong has hit .232 with three homers and a .655 OPS in 33 career games against the Reds, though he’s 6-for-24 with an .858 OPS this year and hit the big two-run homer that tied the game in the Cubs’ four-game sweep in May.
And then there’s the absurdly specific little thing the Reds have done well all year: the ABS challenge monitor. Through the latest weekly update, Cincinnati still leads the majors with a 63% success rate on challenges in the first-year system.
Tyler Stephenson is the league’s top-rated catcher in that category, and Sal Stewart is the top-rated hitter. The Reds are also one of just four teams that have not had a pitcher go rogue and challenge a call.
It’s not exactly a banner to hang from the rafters. But it is something.
The final reason is more about what might be coming than what’s here now. MLB owners are all but guaranteed to lock out the players when the collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, which could mean a long break from the sport, possibly even the entire 2027 season if things go badly. That leaves a few late-summer and early-fall chances to catch Stewart, Burns and Elly De La Cruz before the sport heads into another fight.
Maybe that alone is enough to make the stretch run worth a look.
In Other News...
Several Reds Enter September With Their 2027 Future Suddenly In Doubt
September is arriving with a lot more uncertainty than the Reds probably expected, because several players who were supposed to help define this stretch are now fighting for their place in the clubs longer-term plans. TJ Friedl, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Sam Moll, Michael Toglia, Noelvi Marte, Connor Phillips and Brandon Williamson are all in the spotlight for the same reason: their 2026 production has not matched the kind of value the organization needs, and that puts real pressure on the final weeks of the season.
The Reds are not just sorting out the present tense here, they are staring at a 2027 offseason that could bring significant roster decisions. For some of these players, a strong finish would help steady the conversation and buy more time; for others, the combination of performance and contract considerations could leave the front office weighing changes sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Face A Costly Infield Problem They Can't Easily Fix
The Reds infield has become one of the clearest reasons their offense has stalled in 2026, with both KeBryan Hayes and Matt McLain leaving too much to be desired at the plate. Hayes, in particular, is in the midst of the worst season of his career, and the contract that runs through 2029 makes him a tough player to move even if Cincinnati wanted to shake up third base. McLain has still offered value with the glove, but the bat has not carried enough weight to make second base feel settled.
For a club trying to build a more reliable lineup, that creates a winter problem without an easy solution. The Reds need more production from the left side of the infield and better overall balance, yet the two spots that need the most attention are tied to players who are either expensive to trade or would not bring much back in return. It leaves Cincinnati weighing how much of the current group can be repaired internally and how much will have to be addressed in ways that are not as simple as a swap. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Suddenly Face Another Lineup Concern With Michael Toglia
Michael Toglias brief run with Cincinnati hit another snag this week when the Reds put him on the injured list retroactive to Aug. 22 after he dislocated his right shoulder in a game. The move forced the club to turn to Triple-A Louisville for depth, with infielder/outfielder Ivan Johnson coming up to fill the roster spot.
Terry Francona said there is some optimism around Toglias recovery, though the next round of testing will help determine how soon he can move forward. For a Reds team trying to keep its lineup intact down the stretch, any absence in the middle of the order or on the bench can complicate the day-to-day mix, and this one now leaves Cincinnati waiting on a clearer timetable. [Read more 🡒]