Bleacher Report nails 2026 Reds lineup outlook and the truth is pretty concerning

Do the Cincinnati Reds walk the tight rope and find a way to squeeze an impact bat like Kyle Schwarber into their shoestring budget? Do they go the cheap route and try to find some magic with a second-tier, third-tier, fourth-tier, or bargain-basement option?

It's tough to say. Adding a legitimate power threat is a top priority, but it's not the only one. With arbitration raises nearly canceling out the money coming off the books and the fact that payroll will remain flat in 2026, it's going to be tough for Nick Krall to scratch all of the Reds' itches this winter.

And when it comes to the lineup, there's a nightmare scenario that could come to reality, at least if you listen to Bleacher Report. Over there, Joel Reuter is predicting the Reds add... absolutely nothing to the opening day lineup.

Bleacher Report's 2026 Reds Opening Day lineup prediction is a fan's worst nightmare

Fans are dreaming about what could be, but if this prediction comes true, they'll quickly find that it is more or less the same group that was summarily dismissed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLWCS. Here's the exact lineup that Bleacher Report is predicting:

In this scenario, you have Spencer Steer as the cleanup hitter. Steer slugged a paltry .402 in 2024 and .411 in 2025. Unless you're buying into him replicating his .255/.369/.509 September line for the entirety of 2026, that's not nearly enough at that spot.

Even more concerning is Gavin Lux in left field. There are some things to like about Lux's game, like his on-base prowess and versatility, though the latter is neutralized if he's stuck in left field every day. Still, he slugged a pathetic .374 in 2025, which isn't far off from his career mark of .381. Left field and DH were his two primary positions this season, and as both are offense-focused, he produced a replacement-level-esque 0.3 fWAR. Left field is likely the easiest position for the Reds to find some sort of upgrade, so running Lux out there as the starter would be an abject failure.

What this does is put a lot of pressure on the talented youth on the roster to take a step forward. That would mean another gear for Elly De La Cruz, a step forward for Noelvi Marte, and Sal Stewart extrapolating his .839 OPS, which came in just 58 plate appearances over the course of the entirety of 2026. Notice the "and" in that sentence  — all of these things likely would need to happen in conjunction with each other.

As Reuter notes, "The X-factor here might be Matt McLain, who hit .290/.357/.507 with 16 home runs in 403 plate appearances as a rookie in 2023, but lost the entire 2024 season to shoulder surgery before returning with a punchless .220/.300/.343 line this year." Sure, but even if that were to happen, more positive developments would be needed.

The harsh truth is that this was an 83-79 team in 2025 that barely squeaked into the playoffs. There are a lot of pieces to like here, but if they aren't augmented by some veteran firepower, the Reds are going to take a step back, not forward, in the uber-competitive National League in 2026.