The Cincinnati Reds were in first place in the NL Central at the beginning of May. Since that time, they have plummeted to the bottom of the standings due to a combination of injuries and a season-long power outage at the plate. The ballclub has consistently underperformed inside the division, and in one-run games. Despite all of this, the Redlegs still have a path to the Wild Card after the All-Star break, but they have to improve on multiple fronts to get there.
Injuries And Poor Hitting Doomed The Reds in The First Half
To say that the Reds have battled injuries in 2026 would be a massive understatement. The pitching staff has been decimated, with starters Nick Lodolo, Chase Burns, Graham Ashcraft, and Hunter Greene all missing time in the first half of the season. The injury bug hit the position players too, as Elly De La Cruz, Eugenio Suárez, and Matt McClain have been sidelined at some point during the season. Cincinnati doesn’t have a deep roster, and the team struggled to play competitive baseball down the stretch as a result.
On top of the injuries, the Redlegs have struggled mightily at the plate over the past season. They are tied for the third-lowest batting average in baseball (.230), and have the fourth-worst run differential in the National League (-60). The lack of offense has been a major problem all season, but there’s no hope for any major changes from the organization. The Reds typically don’t make big swings at the trade deadline, and the best minor league prospect (all-everything catcher Alfredo Duno) won’t be called up until 2027 at the earliest. The only chance for Cincinnati to turn their 2026 around is to get healthy.
How The Second Half Will Shake Out For The Reds
The Reds have to improve against divisional opponents if they’re going to make a run at the Wild Card. They are a pitiful 6-22 against the NL Central, with a 1-6 record against the division-leading Brewers (who might have the best pitcher in baseball). Injuries have played a role, but there’s no excuse for a ballclub to perform so poorly against teams it has familiarity with. With 34 games inside the division remaining, the team’s performance against its rivals will make or break the 2026 season.
In addition to their hitting woes, the Reds’ performance in close games has also been miserable. They have lost 18 of their last 23 one-run games, due partly to a pitching staff gutted by injury. This isn’t a manager problem; this is a roster problem. Even when they are healthy, the Redlegs just don’t have the pieces offensively to finish off games. De La Cruz is an incredible talent and Sal Stewart has been tremendous as part of a sensational rookie class, but there needs to be more around them. The good news for the organization is that Lodolo and Ashcraft come back soon, so quality pitching is on its way.
The Reds are much better than their record shows, but the hole they dug for themselves is a deep one. They are eight games back from a Wild Card spot, but they will be fighting the Cardinals, Cubs, and Pirates for one of those three spots. Cincinnati has to be significantly better in divisional play if they want to have a chance for the postseason. Getting healthy should be priority number one, followed by improvements in their approach to high-leverage spots offensively. The Redlegs aren’t going to lead MLB in offense, but any additional run support will give them a chance to salvage their 2026 campaign.
