The Cincinnati Reds came into 2026 with a clear message from Terry Francona in spring training: “it’s time.” Instead, the season has unraveled into a major step backward. With four games left, the Reds are 73-85, sitting in last place in the National League Central and tied for the third-worst record in the National League.
That disappointment has pushed the conversation beyond wins and losses. Around the clubhouse, players are making it plain that this group needs more than talent and more than a manager’s voice. It needs stronger leadership from within.
Sal Stewart said the frustration is real after getting a taste of October baseball last year. “Hopefully, I don’t have to experience this much more often,” Stewart told Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie's Chalkboard.
“I want to be in the playoffs. I was able to taste that last year.
That feeling was unlike any other. It didn’t go the way the team wanted it to (this year).
I hope we don’t get too comfortable like this. I want to be winning games.”
Stewart has done his part. He has given the Reds the kind of run production they needed, and then some. He is tied for second in Major League Baseball with 110 RBI and is the first rookie with a 30-home-run, 100-RBI season since Pete Alonso in 2019.
But the issue goes beyond one breakout season. The Reds did not add enough veteran presence over the offseason to help steer a young roster through the grind. That stands out when you look back at the club’s successful stretch from late 2009 through 2012, when Cincinnati brought in experienced players such as Scott Rolen and Ryan Ludwick to help teach Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Brandon Phillips what it takes to get to the postseason.
Andrew Abbott pointed to that need for direct, honest leadership inside the room. “The age of the team, the core we have, the guys we know are coming back, the continuity on the staff, the familiarity allows for those tough conversations,” Abbott told Goldsmith.
“You can have those awkward conversations about how we can get better. No one wants to say that we sucked this year.
But that’s what we need. We need the guys in leadership roles to sit back and be like, ‘I’ve played a lot of ball, we could have been a lot better and this is what we should do and focus on.’”
The Reds were also heavily linked to Kyle Schwarber last offseason, and while his bat would have mattered, his postseason experience could have meant just as much to a young lineup. Instead, president of baseball operations Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador leaned on Francona to supply the leadership.
The players’ message is clear: that alone is not enough. They need voices they can share a clubhouse with, not just a manager in charge.
Chase Burns said as much when he talked about what this team could still use. “Maybe adding more leaders on the team who can push the younger guys,” Burns told Goldsmith.
“We have a young team. Some guys do a great job of that already.
It doesn’t hurt to have more leaders who can push us.”
Looking ahead, the front office is expected to remain in place, though there is uncertainty around how the new collective bargaining agreement could affect next season, including the possibility of a lockout and how long it might last.
The Reds also know their window is tight. Elly De La Cruz is one home run and one stolen base away from a 30/30 season, and he has been playing at an MVP level over the last nearly two months. If Cincinnati still can’t win with this core, it becomes harder to believe this group will do it under the current front office and owner.
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