The Cincinnati Reds are sticking with Chris Valaika as hitting coach after a season that left their offense under the microscope, while assistant hitting coach Will Remillard will not return.
It is a notable decision after the kind of year Cincinnati just endured at the plate. The Reds are changing part of the staff, but the bigger message is that they are choosing continuity in the place where the pressure has been greatest.
President of baseball operations Nick Krall laid out the problem plainly in comments to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon.
“Last year, we came and we added more power," Krall said. "At the end of the day, we were second in home runs [in the NL with 213] and last [in the NL] in runs scored.
We need to get on base more, no question. First and foremost, we need to make better contact and get on base more.
That’s the most important thing we can do.”
The numbers tell the story. Cincinnati hit for power, but too often that power came without enough traffic on the bases to turn it into runs.
The tougher issue is what comes next, because the Reds are betting that the same voice can help produce a different outcome.
A lot of the concern starts with the hitters who were supposed to take steps forward and instead moved the wrong way. Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte and Will Benson, who is no longer on the roster, all regressed from the promise they had shown earlier in their careers.
The Reds also believed they could help Ke'Bryan Hayes become a better offensive player. In 2026, he had the worst season of his career.
Those are the kinds of players Cincinnati needed to grow into dependable contributors. The organization cannot keep leaning on young hitters to develop and then simply look outside to patch over the same issues.
None of that means every slump belongs on Valaika. Players are responsible for what they do in the batter’s box. But coaching is supposed to matter here, too, especially when hitters need adjustments and a way through the rough stretches.
Krall also pointed to a mismatch between the players the front office acquired and the style the staff was trying to teach.
“We brought in players that didn’t necessarily fit that philosophy," Krall said. "We need to make sure we give those guys better players for them to develop.”
That is at least an honest admission of where some of the burden sits. Still, if the Reds added players who did not line up with their own approach, that is a roster-building issue they created.
And even if the front office does improve the personnel, the Reds still need more from the players already in the building.
By keeping Valaika, Cincinnati is betting its philosophy is sound and that better pieces will lead to better results. It might. But after the offensive collapse and the regression from players the Reds were counting on, it is a bet that invites plenty of doubt.
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