Published for Reds fans — October 2026
By Toxlay Sports Editorial Team · Last updated October 19, 2026
⚖ Reds Fans — Electric in 2027!
The oldest franchise in baseball with its brightest future — Elly’s 30-30 fireworks, a rookie sensation, and an ace in the making. Real fans don’t just watch it happen, they wear it. Grab a Reds-style home jersey with your favorite star’s number and rep the Queen City everywhere.
The Club
The Cincinnati Reds are where professional baseball began — the franchise traces its lineage to the 1869 Red Stockings, and the modern club was founded in 1882. They play at Great American Ball Park on the Cincinnati riverfront, dressed in red and white, and they own five World Series titles — 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976 and 1990. The 1975-76 Big Red Machine — Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez — remains one of the greatest teams ever assembled. But here’s the number that defines the modern Reds: 2012. That’s the last time they won a playoff game (October 7, against the Giants). They’ve made the postseason in just five of the last 31 seasons, and the 2026 campaign was a reminder of how far the climb still is.
⭐ FAN FAVORITE
#44 De La Cruz — Reds Style Home Jersey
The most electrifying player in Cincinnati since the Big Red Machine days — 30-30 talent that makes Great American Ball Park buzz.
Last Season (2026): From 20-11 to Last Place
75-87. Fifth and last in the NL Central, 28 games behind the 103-win Milwaukee Brewers. And the cruel part is how it started: the Reds went 20-11 through April, the best opening month anyone in Cincinnati could remember — then collapsed in May and never recovered. By the final homestand, a 9-1 loss to the Cubs dropped them to 72-84 and moved Hall of Famer Barry Larkin to deliver a blunt reality check: the Reds are “so, so far behind” the league’s top clubs, and “change has to happen.” Joey Votto — Captain Lark’s old teammate — posted “Captain Lark” with a 💯 in agreement. The season ended the way it deserved to: a 5-1 loss to Toronto on the final day, with Max Scherzer turning back the clock for 7 strikeouts over 8 innings in what may have been his last big-league start. Elly De La Cruz barely crossed the 30-30 threshold in his best season yet. Sal Stewart slumped so badly down the stretch he lost a shot at the RBI crown and, probably, NL Rookie of the Year. And Hunter Greene — the ace — effectively missed the entire year. From 20-11 to the cellar. Only the Reds.
Best Players Right Now (2027 Roster)
Elly De La Cruz, 25, Shortstop (#44) — The face of the franchise. A 30-30 season, his best all-around year, and the most electrifying player in Cincinnati since the Big Red Machine days. He heads into arbitration about to get very expensive — and everyone knows it.
Chase Burns, 24, Starting Pitcher (#26) — The $105 million man. In his first full big-league season, Burns went 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 185 strikeouts, finishing fourth in wins and ninth in strikeouts. He’s the Opening Day starter in 2027 and the ace of the next good Reds team — whenever that arrives.
Sal Stewart, 22, First Base/Third Base — The rookie sensation who hit the rookie wall. Stewart was leading the league in RBI before a brutal final two weeks cost him the crown and likely the Rookie of the Year award. The bat is real; 2027 is about the full season.
Matt McLain, 27, Second Base — Two straight subpar seasons have him on thin ice, but his glove at second base keeps him in the plans. The Reds need the 2023 version back.
Tyler Stephenson, 30, Catcher — Won his arbitration case ($6.8 million) and remains the steadying presence behind the plate. The pitching staff’s best friend.
Spencer Steer, 28, DH/First Base — The utility bat who plays everywhere and hits enough to stay in the lineup every day. A quiet cornerstone.
Nick Lodolo, 28, Starting Pitcher — Talented, fragile, and the subject of trade rumors all winter. If he stays and stays healthy, he’s a mid-rotation difference-maker.
Andrew Abbott, 27, Starting Pitcher — Took a step back in 2026 after the breakout. The Reds need him to be a reliable 30-start arm again.
Brady Singer, 30, Starting Pitcher — The $13 million innings-eater. Not flashy, but someone has to take the ball every fifth day.
Rhett Lowder, 25, Starting Pitcher — The young arm the organization still believes in. With Greene out all of 2027, Lowder’s development isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.
Emilio Pagán, 35, Closer — Expected to exercise his $10 million player option and anchor the ninth inning again.
JJ Bleday, 29, Left Field (#22) — The everyday outfielder. Solid, professional, and one of the few lineup regulars the front office seems settled on.
Manager: Terry Francona, 67 — Second season. The future Hall of Famer got this team to 83 wins and the playoffs in 2025; 2026 tested every bit of his patience. He didn’t come to Cincinnati to finish last.
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Star Spotlight: Stories You Should Know
Elly’s 30-30 — and the payday problem. Elly De La Cruz just put together his best season: barely crossing into the 30-homer, 30-steal club, the kind of year that turns a star into a superstar. Now comes the hard part. He’s headed into arbitration and about to go from cheap to very expensive, with team control running only through 2029. The Reds’ history with paying their own stars is not encouraging — and how Cincinnati handles the Elly question will define the next five years of the franchise.
The $105 million bet on Chase Burns. When the Reds handed Chase Burns $105 million, it was a statement: this is our ace. Then he went out and pitched like it — 15-3, 2.86 ERA, 185 strikeouts, one of the best young arms in baseball. With Hunter Greene’s Tommy John surgery wiping out his entire 2027 season, Burns isn’t just the future anymore. He’s the present, the Opening Day starter, and the only arm in the rotation anyone fully trusts.
“Change has to happen.” Late September, after a 9-1 humiliation by the Cubs closed the final homestand, Barry Larkin — 1990 champion, 1995 NL MVP, Mr. Red — said what every fan was thinking: the Reds are “so, so far behind” the top clubs, “this city deserves better,” and “something has to give.” Then Joey Votto, the 2010 MVP, chimed in with “Captain Lark” and a 💯. When the two most beloved Reds of the last forty years agree the franchise is broken, it’s not just talk. It’s a mandate.
🔥 More Fan Favorites
More Cincinnati stars, same wishbone-C look.
Next Season (2027): The Kids Must Carry It
The 2027 Reds will go as far as Elly De La Cruz, Chase Burns and Sal Stewart take them — because there isn’t much coming behind them. Hunter Greene’s $15.33 million will sit on the shelf all season after Tommy John surgery. Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott are both listening-to-offers candidates this winter. The infield can’t run back Ke’Bryan Hayes and Matt McLain taking most of the reps at second and third, and the outfield needs at least one more bat the team can trust every day. The good news: the payroll has room — roughly $32 million to spend if ownership holds the line near $129 million — and the farm has arms like Rhett Lowder and Connor Phillips on league-minimum deals. The bad news: the division runs through a 103-win Brewers team that isn’t going anywhere. And hanging over everything, the December 1 CBA expiry and the owners’ salary-cap push have the sport bracing for a possible lockout. If baseball is played on time, 2027 is about one thing in Cincinnati: proving 20-11 wasn’t the fluke and 75-87 was.
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Games to Watch
Wondering when the Reds play? The Reds schedule for 2027 is out — and it opens at home with a shot at redemption. Grab your Reds tickets early for these:
- March 25 — vs St. Louis Cardinals (Opening Day, Great American Ball Park): A six-game homestand to open the season, starting with the Cardinals — who have won the last four Opening Day meetings. Cincinnati’s last Opening Day win over St. Louis came in 1988. Time to end that.
- April 1-4 — at Boston Red Sox (Fenway Park): The first road trip: four games at Fenway, including the Red Sox home opener. An early measuring stick against a playoff club.
- May 21-23 — vs Toronto Blue Jays (home): The 2025 AL champions come to the riverfront. Star power on both sides, and a reminder of what October baseball looks like.
- June 3-5 — at Athletics (Las Vegas Ballpark): The weirdest road trip in baseball — three games against the A’s in a minor-league park in Las Vegas, where the ball flies. Bring offense.
- August 13-15 — vs New York Yankees (home): The Bronx Bombers at Great American Ball Park in the middle of a pennant race — for someone, anyway. The biggest home series of the summer.
Biggest Rivalries — The Wars
1. St. Louis Cardinals — THE war. The oldest feud in the NL Central. They open the 2027 season against each other on March 25, the Cardinals have taken the last four Opening Day meetings, and Cincinnati hasn’t beaten them on Opening Day since 1988. Everything about this rivalry is personal.
2. Pittsburgh Pirates — The division grind. Six games in the opening homestand’s second series (March 29-31), and 13 more after that. When both teams are rebuilding, these are the games that decide who climbs out first.
3. Chicago Cubs — The humiliation game. It was a 9-1 Cubs win that closed the 2026 home schedule and triggered Larkin’s “change has to happen” speech. The Reds don’t forget beatdowns like that.
4. Milwaukee Brewers — The new kings. 103 wins. 28 games ahead of Cincinnati. The Brewers are everything the Reds want to be — and the road to relevance in this division goes straight through Milwaukee.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Reds last win a playoff game?
October 7, 2012, against the San Francisco Giants. The Reds have made the postseason just five times in the last 31 seasons, including 2025.
When the Reds play the Cardinals to open 2027, where does it happen?
March 25, 2027 at Great American Ball Park, opening a six-game homestand. St. Louis has won the last four Opening Day meetings.
Who are the best Reds players right now?
Elly De La Cruz, the 30-30 shortstop; Chase Burns, the $105 million ace who went 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA; and rookie Sal Stewart.
Why is Hunter Greene missing the 2027 season?
Greene underwent Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the entire 2027 season — which makes Chase Burns the Opening Day starter and the ace of the staff.
Show Your Colors
Reds Country — at Great American Ball Park or watching from home, true fans wear it. Gear up with quality fan sportswear — jerseys, tees and athletic wear built for real supporters:
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Sources & official links: Cincinnati Reds official site · Cincinnati Reds tickets
From 20-11 to last place and back again — the climb starts March 25.
