Pat McAfee Reacts to Kirk Herbstreit's World Cup, Reds Statement

The Cincinnati Reds have had a very disappointing 2026 MLB season. After making the playoffs last year as the third National League Wild Card team, doing so in veteran manager Terry Francona's first year at the helm, Cincinnati gave its fans a lot of belief that an exciting era was just the beginning.

With a young roster that was expected to take a step forward this season, the Reds entered 2026 with the goal of making it consecutive years in the playoffs. But as we sit here on June 27, Cincinnati is four games below .500, in last place in the National League Central division, and 12.5 games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.

While the NL Central has been a surprise division, as every team is .500 or better outside of Cincinnati, the Reds have still underperformed by their own standards.

Look no further than the opinion of one of their most prominent fans, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit. The former college football player and current College GameDay analyst, Herbstreit is a self-described suffering Reds fan, as stated in his Instagram bio.

On Saturday, he took to X where he shared his appreciation for the FIFA World Cup giving him something fun to watch while the Reds are not.

"Man, since the @Reds cancelled the rest of their season around mid May it’s made for ANOTHER LONGGGG summer before football season. Thank goodness for @FIFAWorldCup games," he wrote. "These fans passion and pride in their country has been so much fun to watch!! I’m an admitted soccer novice but sure am enjoying these games and atmospheres around each setting! I’m all in!"

Herbstreit's post got the attention of fellow ESPN analyst Pat McAfee, who expressed similar appreciation for the ongoing World Cup.

Herbstreit, an Ohio State alum and Ohio native, has been a lifelong Reds fan. He, and other Reds fans, are understandably disappointed with the way this season has gone. Overachieving by many preseason projections last season, the Reds have undoubtedly underperformed this year.

That said, it's not all bad. 2024 second overall pick Chase Burns has emerged as a real front-of-the-rotation superstar, currently 9-1 with a 2.00 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched. After having an up-and-down 2025, where he posted a 4.57 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched, Burns has found his footing in year two and is every bit the star Cincinnati thought he would be when selecting him second overall just a couple years ago.

While the emergence of Burns has been great, it's unfortunately one of the only positive developments for Cincinnati this season. Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz has been productive when healthy, but has missed time, appearing in just 61 of Cincinnati's 80 games.

Matt McLain, who had an electric spring training and looked primed for a bounce-back season at the plate, has turned in similar production to his disappointing 2025 campaign, currently owning a 78 OPS+ after posting a 75 OPS+ last season. Both are a far cry from the 127 OPS+ figure he put up in 2023 when he finished fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

Additionally, the signing of Eugenio Suárez, and his return to Cincinnati after spending seven seasons with the Reds early in his career, has not gone as planned. The 34-year-old is hitting just .209 with seven home runs and a .639 OPS, the lowest mark of his career.

All this being said, the Reds do sit just five games back of that final Wild Card spot, but the problem is they trail six teams in that race, including the Chicago Cubs, who currently hold that final spot.

Herbstreit's frustration with his hometown team is understandable, but for him and other Reds fans, at least the World Cup has provided some entertainment this summer.