Reds Opening Day lineup sparks questions about one glaring absence

We're just hours away from Andrew Abbott throwing the first pitch of the 2026 season, but there's already a bit of a controversy surrounding Cincinnati Reds' Opening Day lineup.

The Reds are set to battle the Boston Red Sox with left-handed starter Garrett Crochet on the mound. The Red Sox ace finished second in the AL Cy Young race last season behind Detroit Tigers' starter Tarik Skubal. Crochet is one of the best pitchers in the game, and as a left-hander, is virtually guaranteed to give Cincinnati's lineup fits.

That's why it's curious that Reds manager Terry Francona left outfielder Dane Myers out of the team's starting lineup. Instead, Tito will send Noelvi Marte to right field on Opening Day. While it's certainly a show of respect and faith in his young outfielder, Marte has historically struggled against left-handed pitching.

Terry Francona rolls the dice with Reds Opening Day lineup

Marte switched from the infield dirt to the outfield grass last season and made the catch of the year with his game-saving grab during the final week of the 2025 campaign. But his defense isn't the question here. Marte would be a no-brainer against a right-handed pitcher, but his career .243/.299/.296 slash line against left-handed pitching is rather uninspiring.

Myers, on the other hand, has a tremendous slash line against left-handers. Over his career, the 30-year-old has owned southpaws to the tune of .286/.359/.419 with a 119 wRC+. If Francona were playing the percentages, one would assume that Myers should've been in the starting lineup over Marte.

But this is Opening Day, and Marte is viewed as one of the top young players in the organization. The hope, obviously, is that Marte uses this as a shot in the arm and proves the numbers and all the stat heads wrong.

Marte had some success against lefties this spring, and in 22 at-bats, hit .273/.304/.591 with three extra-base hits, including two home runs. But facing off against Crochet is much different than the run-of-the-mill lefties trotted out during Cactus League.

The rest of the Reds Opening Day lineup looks about you'd expect. TJ Friedl is batting leadoff and will be followed by Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz. Francona flip-flopped Sal Stewart with Eugenio Suárez, and Spencer Steer will bat sixth. Tyler Stephenson will follow with Marte and Ke'Bryan Hayes bringing up the rear.

Abbott is slated to throw the first pitch of the season at 4:10 p.m. EDT. Enjoy Opening Day, Reds fans.