From historic offensive collapses to high-priced veterans falling flat, these four stars failed to deliver, leaving Cincinnati fans questioning the future of the franchise’s core roster.
The Cincinnati Reds have finished the 2026 season 75-87 after a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in game 162.
It was a year with ups and downs, but mostly downs. Soon after the trade deadline and Hunter Greene’s injury, it became clear there would be no late-season run toward the postseason. The two-month wait for the season to be over was on.
Looking back on the year, which players were the most disappointing and contributed to the bad year? Let’s break it down.
Ke’Bryan Hayes
I almost didn't include Hayes because expectations were low that he'd become a good player for the Reds, but he was so bad it warranted a spot on the list. Bryce Spalding on X posted a stat saying that out of 21,533 players since 1940 who have recorded 240 plate appearances in a season, Hayes ranked 21,531st in WRC+.
Quite literally one of the worst offensive seasons in the last 100 years of Major League Baseball.
Nick Lodolo
Lodolo struggled through injuries, but in his 108.2 innings, he posted a 4.97 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP for the worst season of his career in which he made at least 10 starts.
The mix of injuries and poor on-field performance may have fans moving on from the idea that Lodolo can be a quality starter for the Reds in the future.
Eugenio Suarez
Suarez’s signing made the fanbase very happy, and for good reason. He came off a 49-home-run season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, and the Reds needed a middle-of-the-order power hitter to complement Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz. However, Suarez hit just 26 home runs and drove in 74 runs while hitting .212 with a .740 OPS.
Suarez ended the season better with a .246 average in September, adding six home runs to boost his power numbers. However, the $15 million contract and lofty expectations coming into the year make this signing a miss in hindsight.
Matt McLain
This was the year that fans were holding out hope for McLain. He didn’t play in 2024 after getting NL Rookie of the Year votes in 2023. Then he struggled in 2025, hitting just .220. Not great, but it’s an early-career slump. He can very well rebound from it and turn back into the Matt McLain everyone thought would be the second baseman of the future for the Reds.
Nope.
McLain topped his poor 2025 with a .185 average and 15 home runs in 2026, with just 40 runs batted in and a .608 OPS. He may have sealed his fate, as the Reds need to move on from the former first-round pick.
