How Cincinnati Reds are Already Silencing Doubters at Spring Training
· Yahoo Sports
The Cincinnati Reds strength is their starting pitching. Their offense is not supposed to be all that good in 2026. However, don't tell that to the Reds' spring training lineup. Following Cincinnati's 14-13 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, the Reds have now scored 50 runs in their last three games.
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Does a few impressive spring training games mean the Reds' lineup is destined to upset expectations? Obviously not, but the early spring training results are encouraging.
Reds' Lineup Taking Care of BusinessThe Reds are receiving contributions from a number of players. Matt McLain looks like a legitimate MVP candidate right now. The former highly regarded prospect is hitting .647/.700/1.412 to go along with a 2.112 OPS across six games. No, those statistics are not a mistake -- McLain has been that good.
He's also hit four home runs. A McLain bounce back season would be crucial for the Reds' 2026 lineup.
Will Benson is also swinging the bat well. He's hitting .267 to go along with a 1.065 OPS. He has two home runs this spring.
Elly De La Cruz still looks like a star. He is hitting .444 with a 1.555 OPS. He's also hit a couple of home runs.
Top prospect Sal Stewart is slashing .429/.529/.929 with two homers. He features the potential to become one of the better hitters in the sport.
Rece Hinds has been a pleasant surprise, as he is hitting .500 with two home runs.
A number of other players are swinging the bat well, but this article wouldn't ever end if we discussed every single impressive performer in Reds' spring training so far. The fact of that matter is that Cincinnati's offense looks terrific up to this point.
So, should Reds fans feel better about their team's outlook heading into the '26 campaign as a result?
The Reds are looked at as a team that can realistically compete. The starting rotation is strong. The bullpen should be alright. The biggest question mark is indeed the lineup.
If the offense can carry their momentum into the regular season and upset expectations, perhaps Cincinnati will compete for the National League Central division. It is not out of the realm of possibility.
It will be intriguing to see if the ball club can continue finding success from an offensive standpoint. The Reds will attempt to continue crushing the baseball in their Friday game against the San Francisco Giants.