The Cincinnati Reds haven’t given their fans much to celebrate in 2026, but one branch of the organization just delivered a reason to keep an eye on what comes next.
While the big league club has trudged through a disappointing season and still has a little more than a month left on the regular-season schedule, the Reds’ High-A affiliate in Dayton has already carved out a place in team history. The Dayton Dragons have launched 153 home runs this year, setting a new single-season mark for the franchise in a full season.
That breaks the previous record of 152, set in 2022, when Elly De La Cruz was part of that power-packed roster.
This year’s Dayton surge has been led by first baseman Carter Graham and catcher Alfredo Duno. Graham has hit 17 home runs, while Duno has added 16 before both players moved on to Double-A Chattanooga.
Power hasn’t exactly been the problem for Cincinnati at the major league level either. Heading into Monday night’s series with the San Francisco Giants, the Reds ranked sixth in the league with 169 home runs. Rookie slugger Sal Stewart sits atop the club with 27, while JJ Bleday and De La Cruz are tied for second with 21 apiece.
So even if this season has been hard to enjoy, the organization’s future still has some pop in it. Duno, in particular, is a name Reds fans are likely to hear plenty more often. And with no certainty about what the roster will look like by spring training, especially with Tyler Stephenson’s status beyond this season unresolved, Duno could be in position to move quickly if the path opens up.
The only question is whether that home run swing keeps traveling with him as he climbs.
In Other News...
Sal Stewart Suddenly Has A Real Rookie Of The Year Threat
The National League Rookie of the Year conversation has tightened into a familiar two-man debate for much of the year, with Sal Stewart and JJ Wetherholt trading the spotlight as the calendar moved into the second half. Stewart has been a major part of the Reds offense and sits atop NL rookies in several key categories, giving Cincinnati a legitimate case built on both production and consistency. Even with the playoffs fading from view, his body of work has kept him squarely in the middle of the award race.
Carson Benge has now forced his way into that discussion, though, and it comes at a time when voters are likely to weigh more than just raw numbers. The Mets outfielder has made a real jump since the All-Star break, enough to turn what looked like a two-player race into something less settled. For Stewart, the issue is no longer simply whether he has been good enough, but whether the total value he has provided to the Reds can still separate him from a pair of challengers gaining ground at the right time. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Are Running Out Of Time To Regain Fan Trust
The frustration around the Reds has been building for years, and it is not hard to see why. Cincinnati has gone nearly three decades without winning a playoff series, the longest active drought of its kind in professional sports, and the club has reached the postseason only five times in the last 32 years. For a fan base that has waited through too many false starts, the problem is not just one bad season here or there. It is the accumulation of missed chances, uneven roster talent and a front office structure that has too often left the team treading water instead of moving forward.
What makes the moment feel so urgent is that patience is not the same thing as trust. Reds fans and outside observers alike have started to talk more openly about the need for real change, not just incremental fixes, if the franchise wants to look like a contender again. Until the organization can show it can build and sustain a better roster and make sharper decisions at the top, every promising stretch will carry the same old burden of doubt. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Have To Make A Brutal Chase Burns Call
Chase Burns has been one of the more interesting developments in Cincinnatis season, but the workload is starting to catch up with him. After already moving past his previous career high in innings pitched, the rookie right-hander has shown signs of fatigue, and the Reds are now weighing whether the safest move is to shut him down for the rest of the year and protect his long-term health.
Terry Francona also said Michael Toglia will undergo season-ending surgery for a labrum tear, a reminder of how quickly a season can shift from evaluating talent to managing bodies. For the Reds, the Burns decision looms larger because it is not just about this stretch run, but about how aggressively they want to push a young arm when the warning signs are already there. [Read more 🡒]