Reds must build a cushion in April before brutal September reality hits

The Major League Baseball schedule makers handed the Cincinnati Reds are relatively favorable start to the 2026 season. But down the stretch, Cincinnati will face a gauntlet unlike any other team in the sport. It's so important for the Reds to stack wins during the month of April, because September is going to be a nightmare.

The Reds lost their opening game of the month to the Pittsburgh Pirates by a final score of 8-3. Andrew Abbott gave up a three-run home run to Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz and Emilio Pagán allowed four runs to dent the plate during the ninth inning. The Reds' bats — other than Eugenio Suárez — were silenced, and Cincinnati is 0-1 in April.

Reds' April schedule is filled with cupcakes like the Angels and Rockies

Next up is a three-game road series in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. Texas is 4-2, but Cincinnati has an arguably better roster. After three games in the Lone Star State, the Reds jet off to Miami for four games against the Marlins who've gotten off to a 5-1 start.

Following a seven-day road trip, the Reds return home to face the hapless Los Angeles Angels and then tangle with the San Francisco Giants. Both teams have started the 2026 season with a losing record and neither is expected to make the playoffs this year.

The Reds then go back on the road to battle the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays — two teams at the bottom of their respective divisions — before closing out the month with a three-game home series against the Detroit Tigers, followed by a three game visit from the Colorado Rockies.

Dodgers, Brewers, and Cubs await the Reds in September

But the Reds had better hope they're 15 games above .500 by the time September rolls around. Why? Because the odds are stacked against them. Cincinnati will open September with two games against the San Diego Padres before the Milwaukee Brewers come to town. The Reds then head out to Chavez Ravine for a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers before a trip to Milwaukee for three more against the Brew Crew.

The Reds then return to Great American Ball Park for back-to-back series against the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs before closing out the season on the road against the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers and Blue Jays were part of last year's epic World Series that went seven games and both the Cubs and Braves are the favorites to win their respective divisions this season.

The old adage always goes, "You can't win the division in April, but you can lose it." For the Reds, that saying is truer than ever when you see what the final month of the season holds. While every game counts just the same in the end, Cincinnati needs to pile up victories in April because they'll be hard to come by in September.