Reds’ September gauntlet is nothing compared to their brutal 2026 schedule

The Cincinnati Reds have a difficult task ahead. The Reds have the most difficult schedule of any team heading into the month of September. After the St. Louis Cardinals leave town at the end of August, five of the Reds' next eight opponents have winning records.

Though the Reds get a reprieve midway through the month with visits to Busch Stadium and West Sacramento, Cincinnati will have their hands full with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers.

But as difficult as this September's schedule will be for Cincinnati, it doesn't hold a candle to what awaits the Reds in 2026. Major League Baseball recently released next year's schedule, and while the Reds don't have that same torturous nine-game, 10-day West Coast road trip they endured just last week, the slate of games Cincinnati will face next September is absolutely brutal.

Reds’ September gauntlet is nothing compared to their brutal 2026 schedule

The Reds open next September by completing the final two games of a three-game series with the Padres before welcoming the Brewers to town. The Redlegs will then venture out to Hollywood for the Labor Day holiday to open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Reds wrap up their road trip with three games in Milwaukee against the Brewers before returning home for another clash with the Dodgers. After four games against LA, the Chicago Cubs come to town for the final home series of the 2026 season.

Cincinnati then ends their season on the road with trips to Truist Park to play the Atlanta Braves, and then finally across the border with three games against the Toronto Blue Jays. Every single team on the Reds' September schedule, except for the Braves (who'll undoubtedly be better in 2026), has a winning record this season.

This September schedule for the Reds seems almost criminal, and it will only heighten the need for Cincinnati to get off to a red-hot start next season. The Reds only face one team — the Cubs — with a winning record during the month of August next season, and will have to stack wins with September's schedule showing them no mercy.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors