Three Cincinnati Reds players have landed on the All-MLB ballot after the club finished its 2026 season at 75-87.
The honor is a relatively young one, but it carries plenty of weight. All-MLB recognizes the top players at each position across both leagues, with first- and second-team selections determined by a fan vote and a panel made up of media members, former players, and baseball officials. The award debuted in 2019, and the Reds’ history with it is still pretty thin.
Before this year, only two Cincinnati players had earned All-MLB recognition: Trevor Bauer in 2020 and Nick Castellanos in 2021. In both cases, neither player was still on the Reds roster the following season.
Now the Reds have three more names in the mix: Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, and Chase Burns. Stewart and Burns are first-time nominees, while De La Cruz has now been nominated three times, running from 2024 through 2026.
Stewart turned in a massive first full season in Cincinnati. He played all 162 games and finished with a .263 average, 32 home runs, 111 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, and a 112 WRC+. He’s also among the favorites for the NL Rookie of the Year award after being a major presence in the lineup all year.
Burns was one of the few bright spots on a rough pitching staff. In 29 starts, he went 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA, which ranked fourth among starting pitchers this season.
He logged 154.1 innings, walked 56 batters, and struck out 185. On a team that slipped in 2026, Burns still gave Cincinnati a real chance every time he took the mound.
De La Cruz may have the strongest case of the three. Even after missing three weeks in June, he still put together a 30/30 season, hitting .283 with 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases.
At shortstop, the 2025 All-MLB selections were Bobby Whitt Jr. and Bo Bichette, and both of them have backed up in 2026. That opens the door for De La Cruz to finally get his turn as All-MLB shortstop.
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Cincinnati still finished 75-87 and missed the postseason, so the late surge did little to change the bigger picture. Manager Terry Francona has already pointed to the disappointment of the season and the need for urgency and improvement this winter, which puts De La Cruzs breakout month in an interesting place: as a reason for hope, yes, but also as a reminder of how much more the Reds still need around him. [Read more 🡒]