By Matthew Lindeman, Newswire Intern  

On Sept. 27, 2026, the Cincinnati Reds ended their season with a record of 75-87, ending a tumultuous season that began with high hopes, only to result in despair.  

Fresh off a 2025 season that ended with the team’s first playoff berth since 2020, there was a lot of optimism for what this year could bring. The team was loaded with star players such as Andrew Abbott, Sal Stewart, Eugenio Suárez, Chase Burns, Hunter Greene, Spencer Steer and Elly De La Cruz.  

Before the season started, however, that list grew smaller as Hunter Greene got injured, sidelining him until July. Despite the injury to Greene, the Reds season got off to a hot start.  

After losing their first game of the season, the Reds won the next three games in a row, a streak that included winning their opening series. By the end of April, the Reds had a 20-11 record. This was their best start since the 2006 season, with a franchise-best 20 wins before May.  

In the first four games of May, the Reds went 0-4, and were outscored 32-12. They extended that streak to eight games, and were in last place in the NL Central. They worked their way to a 23-41 record from the end of April to the All-Star Break, gaining some optimism and going 9-5 the rest of July.  

That optimism didn’t last long, as the Reds went 13-16 in August and 10-14 in September, ending with a 75-87 record and remained in last place in the NL Central. There are multiple reasons why the Reds season did not go as well as many had hoped.  

For starters, the Reds were plagued by injuries throughout the season. Aside from Greene, players such as Suárez, Burns, Steer and De La Cruz missed games with varying levels of injuries.  

Additionally, the Reds were last in batting, with a batting average of .229. They were last in hits with 1,224, last at on-base with an OBP of .305. The Reds did have reasons to be optimistic, however. They placed 4th in the league in home runs, with 225.  

Additionally, De La Cruz had a standout season. He placed himself in Cincinnati Reds history by becoming the fourth Reds player in franchise history to join the 30-30 club, earning 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season. Notably, he is the first player in the informal club to reach it in less than 150 games. 

Looking to the off-season, the Reds have a lot of tough decisions to make. For starters, they have to deal with De La Cruz, who is now arbitration eligible and will become a free agent at the end of the 2029 season. Other players that are now eligible for arbitration include Abbott, Steer, Matt McLain and Nick Lodolo.  

Free agents the Reds have to decide whether to keep include Suárez, Tyler Stephenson, TJ Freidl and Will Benson.  

In addition, there have been rumors that the Reds could be sold this offseason, with an estimated value of $1.6 billion.  

There has been a lot of discontent in recent years towards the current owners, the Castellini family, which is a factor in recent attendance drops. 

Despite the 5% attendance drop, Xavier students had multiple opportunities to attend games this season thanks to a Reds Xavier pass that allowed students to go to all home games between March 18 and May 14.  

This was part of a 10-year partnership between Xavier University and the Cincinnati Reds, which was revealed in January. This season marked the first year of partnership.  

For now, Reds fans can look forward to Opening Day next year. While the date is currently scheduled for March 25 against the St. Louis Cardinals, it could potentially be changed pending a potential MLB lockout regarding salary caps.