5 winners, and too many losers to count as Reds enter an offseason full of questions

The cat's out of the bag, now. Recent reporting from The Athletic laid bare all the skeletons in the Cincinnati Reds' closet. For years, Reds fans have wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes. Though many had their assumptions, unless you're in the offices at 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, you don't really know. But now we do, and the truth about what's going with baseball's oldest franchise is disturbing.

Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall is pointing the finger at team owner Bob Castellini, and he's pointing right back at the organization's top exec. The upcoming offseason was already looking like a train wreck, and now this thing is fully off the rails.

While most of what happened this season was rather embarrassing, several Reds players delivered amazing performances and should be recognized for their efforts. Let's look at the five winners from this season, and we'll wrap things up with a brief overview of the litany of losers that torpedoed the Reds' season.

5 winners from the Reds' lost 2026 season

Chase Burns, Reds pitcher

Move aside, Hunter Greene. Chase Burns ended the Reds' ace debate after his performance this season. The fireballer went 15-3 and ended the season with a 2.86 ERA and a strikeout rate approaching 30%. Cincinnati smartly inked the right-hander to a seven-year extension, and Burns will undoubtedly be the Reds Opening Day starter next season — whenever it begins.

Elly De La Cruz, Reds shortstop

Burns and Elly De La Cruz were 1 and 1A this season. The Reds shortstop had his best year in the big leagues and will likely receive down-ballot votes for NL MVP. De La Cruz's biggest improvements came from the right-handed hitter's batter's box, where he led the majors in batting average against left-handed pitching. He'll be arbitration eligible for the first time this winter, and is likely to take home a hefty paycheck.

Emilio Pagán, Reds pitcher

The Reds bullpen really fell apart after Emilio Pagán suffered a hamstring injury midway through the season. But the Reds' closer returned and was absolutely dominant — leading the league in saves down the stretch. Pagán has a $10 million player-option for 2027, and most expect him to exercise it.

Sal Stewart, Reds infielder

Sal Stewart, though he hit a snag during the final month of the season, is the presumptive favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year honors this season. Stewart cracked more than 30 homers and racked up more than 110 RBI during his first full season in the bigs, and looks like an absolute force in the middle of the Reds' lineup for years to come.

Tejay Antone, Reds pitcher

Tejay Antone belongs in the conversation simply by stepping back onto a Major League mound this season. Not only did he return to the big leagues after undergoing a third Tommy John surgery, but the right-hander has been one of the best relievers in the Reds' bullpen all season. Kudos to Antone for never giving up, and kudos on a fine 2026 season.

A laundry list of losers who helped derail the Reds chances in 2026

Now, onto the losers. This is a rather lengthy list, so there's not going to be a lot of in-depth analysis. It must be stated, however, that the Reds had numerous underwhelming performances from would-be contributors this season, and it's a big reason why Cincinnati is in the NL Central basement and a laughingstock among MLB executives. Here goes nothing.

Hunter Greene, Rhett Lowder, Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, and Nick Lodolo are all losers. If you're thinking to yourself, "Sheesh, that looks the Reds Opening Day starting rotation." That's because it was. Many Reds fans forget that Burns played his way onto the Reds' Opening Day roster during spring training. Whether it was injury, inconsistency, or underperformance all five starters failed the test in 2026.

Onto the bullpen. Connor Phillips, Pierce Johnson, Zach Maxwell, Chase Petty, and Tony Santillan all dropped the ball this season. Phillips, Maxwell, and Petty have been stuck in Triple-A because they can't find the strike zone. Johnson proved once again that Krall does a terrible job signing free agent relievers. And Santillan battled injuries and a terrible stretch of games during the month May.

Next up, the position players. TJ Friedl, Jose Trevino, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Noelvi Marte, and Edwin Arroyo represent five of the worst nine hitters in Major League Baseball this season. Reds fans are still waiting for Matt McLain to return to the hitter he was in 2023, and the investment in a reunion with Eugenio Suárez was not money well spent, unfortunately.

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention Krall, GM Brad Meador, manager Terry Francona, hitting coach Chris Valaika, pitching coach Derek Johnson (who's currently on a leave of absence), and the Reds ownership group, as some of the biggest losers of the season.

And finally, and sadly, for different reasons, the Reds fans. Cincinnati has some of the most passionate and dedicated baseball fans in the country, and it's embarrassing that the organization and it's leadership continue to trot out mediocre teams are expect the fanbase to accept it. The fans in Cincinnati deserve better than what they've received this season, but sadly it doesn't sound like meaningful change is coming soon.

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