CINCINNATI -- The Reds are heading into the last week of a season that won’t end with a playoff return, and the review is already pretty clear: there was enough young talent to build around, but far too many problems to hide.
At 72-84 with six games left and trips to Atlanta and Toronto still on the schedule, Cincinnati has spent most of 2026 sorting through what worked and what didn’t. The encouraging part is that several key pieces looked like real answers. The frustrating part is that the roster as a whole never came close to being consistent enough.
Sal Stewart has put together the kind of rookie season that can carry real hardware with it. He leads all rookies with 32 home runs and 110 RBIs, and he entered Tuesday just one RBI behind the Cardinals’ Alec Burleson for the Major League lead. At 22, Stewart could become only the third rookie ever to finish a season atop MLB in RBIs, joining Ted Williams in 1939 and Walt Dropo in 1950.
Elly De La Cruz also checked off a major step in his development. The switch-hitter spent the offseason working to become a better right-handed hitter, and the results showed up in a big way.
His OPS against left-handed pitchers jumped from .618 to 1.031, and he’s positioned for what would be his best season yet. He still has a shot at 30 homers and 30 stolen bases, a mark reached only three times before in Reds history.
Entering Tuesday, he sat at 28 homers and 28 steals.
Chase Burns gave Cincinnati another reason to feel good about the future, even if a right groin injury kept him from making his 30th and final start. The rookie went 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 154 1/3 innings across 29 starts, earned his first All-Star selection and landed a seven-year, $105 million contract in July.
There was also a strong comeback story in the bullpen. Tejay Antone returned from a third Tommy John surgery and put together a successful season, making him one of the feel-good stories on the roster and a candidate for NL Comeback Player of the Year.
Emilio Pagán’s year started rough and then got worse when a left hamstring strain cost him two months, but his return on June 30 changed the picture. Since then, he has posted a 2.03 ERA and converted each of his last 18 save chances. With a $10 million player option for 2027, he looks like a strong bet to be back.
The other side of the ledger is a lot less flattering. Cincinnati struggled badly inside the division, finishing 19-33 against NL Central opponents and winning only five series in those matchups.
The offense never found any kind of rhythm. The Reds ranked last in the National League in run production and finished 30th in the majors in both batting average (.229) and on-base percentage (.306). They also lead the majors with 17 shutout losses.
Several individual seasons reflected that broader slide. Eugenio Suárez, signed as a free agent, fell well short of the 49-homer year he posted in 2025 and has 24 home runs in 2026.
Matt McLain battled through another difficult season. Ke’Bryan Hayes had one of the worst offensive seasons in franchise memory.
TJ Friedl had a disastrous year, spent time in Triple-A and was designated for assignment on Sunday.
The pitching staff was hit hard, too. Hunter Greene passed on surgery in October to remove bone chips from his right elbow, only to need the procedure in March. After returning for five starts, he required Tommy John surgery in August and won’t be back until 2028.
Nick Lodolo’s season was interrupted twice by a blister on his left index finger, and the injuries helped turn what should have been a steadier year into a stop-and-start one. Andrew Abbott, an All-Star in 2025, has been uneven this season as well. In 31 starts with one more to go, he is 6-11 with a 4.70 ERA over 159 innings, a step back from his 3.33 ERA in 28 starts and 156 2/3 innings last year.
The bullpen, a strength a year ago, became a problem in 2026. Cincinnati’s relievers have a 4.76 ERA, which ranks 25th in the majors.
Injuries played a part, with Pagán, Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft all missing significant time. Santillan also took a major step back after serving as a key setup arm in 2025, when he had a 2.44 ERA and 1.11 WHIP; this season, those numbers ballooned to 6.42 and 1.67.
Connor Phillips, who looked like a rising piece late in 2025, was back in Triple-A by the end of May and never forced his way back.
The Reds also have been beaten on the bases more than anyone in the National League. They’ve allowed 141 stolen bases, the most in the league and second-most in MLB.
In Other News...
Reds Are Quietly Testing Two New Pieces For A Bigger Role
The Reds have spent the stretch quietly sorting through some less-heralded additions, and Juan Brito has already started to stand out as one of them. Cincinnati claimed Brito and Oswaldo Cabrera off waivers, bringing in two versatile pieces who fit the kind of roster flexibility teams often prize long before a bigger opportunity opens up. Brito has been getting regular run lately, and the early returns have shown a player who looks more comfortable at the plate while also giving the club some defensive options.
Cabrera brings a different kind of appeal, one that can matter to a manager trying to cover a lot of ground with a limited bench. The switch-hitter can handle seven positions and spent most of the year in Triple-A before arriving in Cincinnati, which makes him the sort of depth addition that can quietly grow into something more if the bat follows the glove. Terry Francona has sounded encouraged by both players, and the Reds at least appear willing to see whether either can become part of the bigger picture by 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Head Into The Offseason With Two New Injury Concerns
The Reds offseason checklist got a little longer with two more medical appointments on the calendar. Spencer Steer is set to have right wrist surgery next Wednesday in Phoenix, while Tony Santillan is lined up for left hip surgery Thursday in Nashville to repair a labral tear, adding another layer of uncertainty as Cincinnati shifts from the seasons finish into winter.
For a club already mapping out its next steps, the news is a reminder of how quickly roster plans can get complicated at this time of year. Steer and Santillan are both now focused on recovery after injury setbacks during the season, and the Reds will have a clearer sense of their near-term depth only once those procedures are behind them and the long rehab process begins. [Read more 🡒]
Elly De La Cruz Is Closing In On Rare Reds History
Elly De La Cruz kept adding to an already eye-catching season with another reminder of how much he can impact a game in different ways, swiping a base and leaving the yard in a recent contest. The burst pushed him closer to a rare Reds benchmark, one that only a small handful of players in franchise history have reached, and it comes during a stretch in which he has been one of the best all-around performers in the sport since the All-Star break.
The numbers have placed De La Cruz near the top of the conversation in WAR and batting production, but Terry Francona has kept the focus on the broader picture rather than the milestone chase. For the Reds, that balance matters: De La Cruz is putting himself on the verge of special history, yet the emphasis inside the room remains on playing the game the right way and letting the rest sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]