The Reds offense hasn't impressed so far.
The Cincinnati Reds wrapped up their first homestand of the 2026 season with a record that nobody at Great American Ball Park is celebrating.
After going 3-3 across a six-game stretch against Boston and Pittsburgh, the Reds head out on the road sitting at 3-3 overall and tied for fourth in the NL Central.
Cincinnati opened the year by taking two out of three from the Red Sox, including a walk-off 6-5 win and a dominant 2-0 shutout behind Chase Burns.
But the Pirates came in and flipped the script, taking two of three and outscoring the Reds 16-6 in those final two games.
The loss on April 1 stung in particular, with Pittsburgh jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning off Andrew Abbott and cruising to an 8-3 win behind Paul Skenes.
McLain Keeps It Real
Second baseman Matt McLain, who came into the season with sky-high expectations after a monster spring training, didn't sugarcoat anything when asked about the homestand.
"It just wasn't good," McLain said. "The at-bats weren't there. We had opportunities (March 31), didn't cash in. Gotta get better. That's baseball."
And he has a point, because the numbers back him up.
Through six games, the Reds are hitting just .193 as a team with only 14 runs scored. That puts them 26th in the league in batting average and 25th in runs.
McLain himself is batting .235 on the year, and while that's better than his rough .220 finish in 2025, it's still a far cry from the guy who demolished the Cactus League this spring with a .542 average and six home runs.
The Bright Spot and the Concern
If there's one player who has been carrying his weight, it's rookie first baseman Sal Stewart.
The 22-year-old has been sensational, hitting .563 through his first six games with a 1.807 OPS and two home runs.
Terry Francona has already started talking about flexibility at the corner infield spots because Stewart has been that good.
On the other end, leadoff man TJ Friedl has been one of the biggest concerns.
His bat speed is down below 70 miles per hour, he hasn't recorded a barrel yet, and the struggles are spilling over into his defense in center field.
When the top of the lineup goes cold like that, the whole offense tends to follow.
What Comes Next
The good news for Cincinnati is that the pitching staff has been solid, posting a 3.45 ERA so far.
The six-man rotation strategy that Francona put in place with Hunter Greene out until July appears to be working, and the bullpen has mostly held up outside of a rough ninth inning on April 1.
But the bats need to wake up, and McLain knows it.
He spent the offseason adding 12 pounds of muscle, switching to a longer bat, and reworking his approach at the plate.
The early returns haven't quite matched the spring hype, though it's only been a week.
Cincinnati heads to Texas to face the Rangers next, and it would go a long way for the Reds' confidence if the offense can start clicking on the road before the homestand against the Angels on April 10.