Reds 2026 schedule avoids nightmare stretch that has doomed them for years

For years, the Cincinnati Reds have been haunted by an lengthy trip to the West Coast. The Reds are often sent on a 10-day, nine-game road trip to the state of California, and sometimes that journey can go north to Seattle or even into Arizona. But without fail, that roadtrip oftentimes results in a losing record.

The Reds are actually in the midst of such a stretch right now. Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers represents the eighth game of a nine-game roadtrip that's already included stops in the Anaheim and Phoenix. After Monday's loss in LA, the Reds are 3-4 on the trip with two games left to play.

But next season, the Reds avoid such an elongated stay in the Golden State, and all of Cincinnati's road trips in 2026 are much more manageable. Obviously the Reds will still make trips out west, but they're not nearly as extensive as in years past.

Reds 2026 schedule avoids nightmare stretch that has doomed them for years

The Reds first West Coast road trip in 2026 doesn't even take place until June. After a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati will board a plane to San Diego for three games in southern California before returning home on June 12 to play the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Reds make a trip Colorado after the All-Star break for a three-game set with the Rockies, and then travel to the Pacific Northwest where they'll clash with the Seattle Mariners. While the road trip does extend to a total of 10 days, the final three games are back east of the Mississippi River against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Reds have one more extended trip out west in August with six games in Phoenix and San Francisco before stopping off in Chicago for a three-game series against the Cubs and then returning home. The Reds road trip to Dodger Stadium in 2026 will be on Labor Day, and is followed by three games against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Reds open the 2026 season at home (of course) against the Boston Red Sox. Reds manager Terry Francona famously managed the Red Sox to two World Series titles during his tenure in Boston, and is looking to take Cincinnati back to the promised land for the first time since 1990. Not having a tiresome road trip to southern California might help in that effort.

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