Reds fans shouldn’t overlook the one bright spot hidden among Cincy's slumping bats

The Cincinnati Reds have lost four of their last five games entering Tuesday's contest against the San Francisco Giants. The Reds' lineup has been among the worst in Major League Baseball, but thankfully the bullpen has performed incredibly well and helped keep Cincinnati above .500 throughout the first two weeks of the season.

The Reds' 54 runs scored rank 28th among all MLB teams this season and only the Chicago White Sox have a lower OPS. That's obviously one of the biggest reasons why Cincinnati recalled slugger Rece Hinds ahead Tuesday's game.

The Reds' pitching staff has been solid through the first 16 games of the 2026 season, though the starters struggled this last time through the rotation. Andrew Abbott (7), Chase Burns (5), Rhett Lowder (4), Brady Singer (5), and Brandon Williamson (3) allowed 24 combined runs over the last five games.

The Reds bullpen has held up their end of the bargain so far

But the Reds bullpen has stood like a bulwark in the midst of all the chaos with a collective 2.89 ERA that ranks sixth in all of MLB. Reds relievers have accounted for 65 strikeouts on the season and only the Miami Marlins and Detroit Tigers have allowed fewer hits.

There is one troublesome stat, however. Cincinnati's relief corps has already logged 65⅓ innings on the young season, meaning they're accounting for a little more than four innings per game. The San Diego Padres are the only other team with a winning record to have used their bullpen as much.

Connor Phillips, Graham Ashcraft, Pierce Johnson, Emilio Pagán, and Sam Moll have all answered the bell for Terry Francona in the early-going. Pagán's 5.40 ERA (thanks in large part to the April 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates) is less than stellar, but he's 4-for-5 in save opportunities this season and hasn't allowed a run since that game. Phillips has endured command issues, but he's still been effective and secured his first-ever big-league save.

Brock Burke and Tony Santillan have been lights out. The high-leverage duo has combined to allow just one run on four hits over 14⅓ innings pitched. Kyle Nicolas has been the lone weak link in the Reds bullpen, and could be optioned back to the minor leagues if his performance doesn't improve.

The bullpen was a strength of the Reds' team last season, and though there've been some changes, it appears as though Francona will need to lean heavily on his relief corps once again in 2026.

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