The biggest question for the Cincinnati Reds entering the 2026 campaign is who's going to establish themselves as franchise cornerstones alongside shortstop Elly De La Cruz. It's impossible to answer that in spring training, but several players are getting off on the right foot.

Here are three examples following the Reds' 14-3 loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday:

McLain is coming off an underwhelming 2025 campaign, but he's off to the best start that Cincinnati could've hoped for this spring. The 26-year-old is 11-for-20 with four homers, 11 RBIs, and three walks over seven games.

McLain slashed .220/.300/.343 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs over 147 regular-season games last year, his first season with 100-plus games played. The 5-foot-8, 180-pounder slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 homers and 50 RBIs across 89 contests in 2023, but missed 2024 after undergoing shoulder surgery that March.

The Reds selected McLain No. 17 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, and he reached Triple-A by 2023. The California native got his first big-league call-up that May, but was shut down in September with an oblique ailment.

McLain's development has been partially stunted by injuries, but he'll prove that 2023 wasn't a fluke if he continues his momentum in the regular season.

Stewart is displaying why he's MLB Pipeline's No. 22-ranked prospect, as he's 7-for-22 with two homers, five RBIs, and four walks over nine games. The 22-year-old is another homegrown piece, as the Reds took him No. 32 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft.

Stewart has succeeded in his entire minor-league tenure, as he's had an .800-plus OPS each year since 2022. The Florida native played eight Rookie League games in 222 before rising from Single-A to High-A the following year and from Double-A to the big leagues in 2025. He slashed .255/.293/.545 with five homers and eight RBIs over 18 MLB contests last season.

If both McLain and Stewart break out this season, it will help the Reds get to the playoffs for the second straight year and give the franchise a promising outlook for the future.

Sticking with the homegrown theme, Lowder is proving his worth in spring training after an injury-marred campaign. The right-hander has allowed just one earned run on two hits with seven strikeouts against two walks over five innings. He also has one hold.

Cincinnati took Lowder No. 7 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, and he rose from High-A to MLB the same year. However, the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon suffered from forearm and oblique ailments last year and pitched just five minor-league games.

Lowder logged a 3.46 ERA over 22 minor-league starts in 2024 before notching a 1.17 ERA over six big-league starts. The 24-year-old has already shown promise at the top level, and now he's on the right track again.