Cincinnati Reds — Now or Never

After improving from 62 wins in 2022 to 82 wins in 2023, fans were expecting the Cincinnati Reds to take the next step and become a threat in the National League. Now we’re headed into 2026, and they still haven’t. In fact, they seem to be standing still.

Young Hurlers and Controlled Arms

The Reds’ rotation quietly kept the club competitive, with multiple young arms registering solid seasons. They weren’t household names yet, but they were durable and effective — a promising combination. Brady Singer led the team with 14 wins, Andrew Abbott posted a 2.87 ERA, Nick Lodolo was rock-steady and Hunter Greene remains a Cy Young candidate.

Bullpen inconsistencies dogged Cincinnati at times, but the overall group made enough big outs to keep games close late. In terms of pitching, it seems that the Reds are taking the very strides that the offense seems reluctant to do. The staff tallied the 4th most quality starts, held opponents to a 2.33 batting average (7th), and a 1.22 team WHIP (7th).

Offensive Stalemate

After all of those expectations, the offense was just…average. In every way. Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer were solid, each posting 20+ homers and 75+ RBIs, but I feel like both could tell you they’re capable of more. They need much better numbers than a .220 average from Matt McClain, and they have to have Will Benson and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to take the next step in their respective careers. All that just to compete.

Offseason Moves

Cincinnati has leaned into development and role player additions rather than chase free agents. The philosophy appears to be: trust what you have and augment where it helps most. They did, however, reunite with their old friend Eugenio Suarez on a one-year deal, which is sure to boost Cincy’s power numbers in a VERY hitter-friendly ballpark.

Biggest Needs Entering 2026

• Bullpen reinforcement
• Consistent production from the bottom third of the lineup

Have They Addressed It?

Not dramatically, but yes. They brought in a handful of bullpen arms, including Pierce Johnson, who has spent the last several seasons being a strong innings guy in Atlanta.

On offense, in addition to Suarez, the Reds also added JJ Bleday and Dane Myers to give them some good lineup depth.

Our Take

Fireworks have never been the issue with Cincinnati. As long as they have Hunter Greene taking the mound every five days, and Elly De La Cruz on the lineup card, they’ll have fireworks. The issue is consistency. Can they sustain it over a full 162 instead of relying on occasional hot streaks? I don’t think this team is built to push Milwaukee and Chicago for the division crown just yet, but they do have the talent to make a run in the Postseason if they can get there. They barely squeaked in the field last year…but then their bullpen imploded. Can they get out of their own way?