The Reds are staring at an offseason loaded with questions, but not everything coming out of 2026 was bleak. While Cincinnati fell short of the division title and the kind of playoff run the fan base expected after the 2025 return to October, a handful of young players still gave the organization something real to build around.
That matters now more than ever. The same leadership group appears set to stay in place, ownership has no intention to sell, and the front office is expected to remain intact as the club heads into what could be a messy winter, with a lockout likely looming. So if the Reds are going to sort through the wreckage, they’ll need help from the next wave.
Here’s a look at the five most encouraging up-and-comers from Cincinnati’s 2026 season, limited to players with no more than two years in the majors.
At the top of the list is Chase Burns, and it’s not hard to see why. His first full year in the big leagues came with a late injury that kept him from getting to 30 starts, but he still piled up 15 wins and a 2.86 ERA across 154 innings.
That kind of production puts him in line for down-ballot NL Cy Young votes, and the Reds clearly view him as more than just a promising arm. Earlier this year, they locked him up on a seven-year, $105 million deal that runs through 2033.
There’s risk in that kind of investment because of his volatile delivery and live arm, but Burns has the sort of impact stuff clubs need at the top of a rotation.
Sal Stewart comes next, and his rookie season gave the Reds a middle-of-the-order bat they can lean on. Even with rough numbers late in the year, he still finished with a .263/.330/.457 line, 32 home runs, 111 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and a 112 wRC+ while playing all 162 games.
He also won NL Rookie of the Month twice. The bat was loud enough to carry the profile, though his defense at first base left room to grow.
Stewart finished at -3 defensive runs saved and -2 outs above average, so winter work on that side of the ball will matter. The offense, though, was enough to keep him in the conversation for a long-term extension.
Luis Mey rounds out the pitching side of the list, and the surface stats don’t tell the whole story. In under 35 innings, he struck out 50 batters for a 12.98 K/9, and he fanned more than 30% of the hitters he faced in 2026.
His 6.23 ERA will turn heads for the wrong reasons, but the 3.59 FIP paints a far friendlier picture. One disastrous inning in which he gave up eight earned runs dragged the ERA down hard; without that one frame, it would have sat closer to 3.81.
That’s a much better reflection of how his season actually looked.
Héctor Rodríguez also flashed enough to keep his stock up. The 22-year-old got the call after the Reds dealt Nathaniel Lowe to the Cleveland Guardians, and his first 41 big-league games were uneven.
He hit .229/.270/.410 with six homers, 17 RBI, and an 82 wRC+. Still, he handled right field without much trouble despite preexisting questions about his defense, and his speed and arm strength both grade at the 70th percentile or better on Baseball Savant.
If he can do a better job laying off pitches outside the zone and start drawing more walks, there’s something here.
Carlos Jorge lands fifth, but there’s some real intrigue in his brief look. He wasn’t technically a September call-up, yet the converted outfielder got plenty of run in the final month and split time with Dane Myers in center field over the last few weeks.
In 18 games, he hit .217/.280/.326 with a 66 wRC+, but he also showed his wheels with two bunt singles in the season’s final series and two stolen bases. The contact needs to improve if he’s going to carve out a role, but the speed is obvious, and that alone gives him a path to next year’s lineup.
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Carter Grahams rise has been one of the more dramatic developments in the Reds farm system this year. After previous seasons left him looking like a fringe name and even put him in danger of being exposed to the Rule 5 Draft, he turned in a massive 2026 showing across two levels, hitting .300/.421/.565 with 29 home runs and 31 doubles. That kind of production changes the conversation quickly, and it has pushed him from afterthought territory into the upper tier of prospect lists.
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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 🡒]