The Reds rank dead last in one area they can’t afford to ignore

When Terry Francona took the wheel of the Cincinnati Reds, he was inheriting a club with a lot of defensive issues. The Reds finished 2024 28th in defensive runs saved at -30, 22nd in outs above average with -14, and 28th with a fielding run value of -36.

For the traditionalists, the club's .983 fielding percentage ranked 27th, and their 96 errors (with 29 being charged to Elly De La Cruz) were the fifth most in MLB.

Heading into the 2025 season, Francona's regime was focused on shoring up the defense, despite very little in terms of roster turnover. This was going to be a game of strategic positioning, a new emphasis on coaching defensive fundamentals, and sheer hard work.

“So often — and I’ve been guilty of it too — you chase offense and you end up chasing your tail because you’re not catching the ball the way you need to,” Francona said in February of 2025. “It’s a really hard way to be successful when you’re just giving away extra opportunities and extra outs.”

Francona is relentlessly positive with regard to his players when speaking to the media, but he has a reputation for not being afraid to hold them accountable in private. As long as the vision was clear, there should be no problem improving, one would have thought.

To further strengthen the cause, Nick Krall went out and traded for Ke'Bryan Hayes at the 2025 deadline, getting one of the best defenders regardless of position to upgrade the hotcorner over the hatchet job that Noelvi Marte had performed on the position.

With all the focus and some concerted moves to upgrade the defensive talent, one would imagine that now, almost two full seasons later, the Cincinnati would be one of the best fielding teams in the league. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

The Reds rank dead last in the league in defensive runs saved at -40. Their collective three outs above average is more rosy, but still ranks 16th in the league. They're also still in the negatives in terms of fielding run value with a mark of -11, which ranks 20th. The team's .984 fielding percentage checks in at 20th as well, and their 87 errors are the 11th-most in baseball. It's questionable as to whether they've moved the needle at all.

The Reds aren't built to have a porous defense, and that must change in 2027

For one thing, this is a very frustrating development given that it was such a big priority for the team. Similar to the poor performance in situational hitting, despite hitting coach Chris Valaika's focus on that facet of the game, failing to follow through on key initiatives is a real problem that desperately needs to change.

Moreover, Cincinnati has a greater problem with the defense. A lot has been made of Matt McLain's historic errorless streak, but there lies the rub. The team's best defenders, guys like McLain and Hayes, are virtually unplayable due to their offensive ineptitude.

Ideally, the Reds replace them in their lineup in 2027, but if they do, they're likely to be downgrading in the field in the process. It's a real catch-22.

A deeper look makes things appear even worse. Cincinnati doesn't have the type of pitching staff that can blow opposing hitters away. Reds hurlers rely a lot on the defense behind them, and the lack of fielding prowess could be part of the reason why the hurlers have struggled so much in 2026.

The team's collective 20.5% strikeout rate ranks 25th in the majors, and that includes Chase Burns' stellar 29.5% rate. Guys like Andrew Abbott, Rhett Lowder, and even Nick Lodolo to an extent, are all pitch-to-contact hurlers. Overall, the pitchers have a 77.8% contact rate against them, which is the 11th-highest in baseball.

The bottom line is that the Reds aren't going to have the funds to revamp the entire pitching staff and bring in a bunch of strikeout artists. Additionally, they're going to need to upgrade the offense, and the further up you go on the offensive spectrum, the further back you typically slide on the defensive end.

That means if the team is going to improve in the field, that improvement will need to be driven by Francona and the coaching staff. It's time for them to put their money where their mouths are. No more lip service; it's time for results, or else seats should start getting hot.

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