3 Reds players who could quietly define the 2026 season

As the Cincinnati Reds prepare to begin the 2026 season, all eyes will be on the likes of Elly De La Cruz, Hunter Greene, and Eugenio Suárez. But in order for a Major League Baseball team to be successful, it needs more than just the stars showing up on a nightly basis.

There's always an unsung hero or two who help move the needle and turn good teams into great ones. If the Reds hope to return to the postseason in 2026, they'll need a few of those unheralded players to make some noise during the upcoming season. Which three Reds players could quietly define the team's success or failure in 2026?

3 underrated Reds players who could be key to success in 2026

Ke'Bryan Hayes, Reds third baseman

The Reds made a for Ke'Bryan Hayes at last year's trade deadline in a move that felt similar to their acquisition of Trevor Bauer back in 2019. While adding Hayes' Gold Glove defense at third base certainly helped down the stretch in 2025, Nick Krall was making a calculated move for the future as well — much like adding Bauer in 2020 helped address the rotation ahead of the 2021 season.

Hayes glove is elite. Apple-to-apples, he's the best infield defender in the game today. Period! But his health is a concern. Hayes has dealt with a chronic back issue in the past. Moreover, his bat bring very little to the table. Hayes finished with a .595 OPS in 2025. If he can just get that number remotely close to .700, while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense throughout the season, Hayes could be a difference-maker.

Tyler Stephenson, Reds catcher

Tyler Stephenson is entering his walk-year and has every incentive in the world to remind fans (and other executives throughout the league) of the player he was just a couple of years ago. In 2024, Stephenson hit .258/.338/.444 with 19 home runs and 66 RBI. Two years before that, he was having an All-Star caliber season (.319/.372/.482), but only appeared in 50 games due to injury.

If Stephenson can stay off the IL in 2026, he's likely to start raking once again. Stephenson has posted double-digit home runs in each of the past three seasons, and there's no reason to believe that he won't do that again. Strikeouts were an issue for the Reds' backstop in 2025 (33.9% K-rate), but he's determined to fix that ahead of Opening Day, and could be key to the bottom-third of the Reds lineup.

Brady Singer, Reds pitcher

Everyone throughout Reds Country tends to focus on the Big Three of Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Andrew Abbott. But Brady Singer possesses one thing that the other three don't — durability. The University of Florida alum answers the bell every fifth day and has done so throughout his career.

Singer was 14-12 last season with a 4.03 ERA. Reds fans and coaches would love to see that number come down just a touch during the upcoming season, but if Singer can eat innings and help preserve the bullpen while keeping the game close, he will have done his job.