2026 Cincinnati Reds

Stewart received 20 of 30 first-place votes to claim the award ahead of Carson Benge and JJ Wetherholt, who collected seven and three votes, respectively. The power-hitting 22-year-old first baseman put together an impressive campaign from a traditional numbers standpoint, slashing .263/.330/.457 with 32 homers, 112 RBI and 15 steals across 162 games. Benge made a serious late push to fortify his case for the hardware, hitting .282/.346/.430 with 20 homers and 22 steals over 156 contests to finish second in the balloting. He also held a considerable edge in WAR, finishing at 4.3 compared to Stewart’s 2.0 mark, though it wasn’t enough to sway the voters.

The game was halted due to rain with Jasson Domínguez up in the sixth inning and eventually called. Marte’s homer was crushed 432 feet to center. He is hitting .362/.378/.580 with three homers and is tied for the DWL lead with 14 RBI in 17 games.

Marte is hitting .349/.368/.540 through 15 games, giving him the DWL’s sixth-highest OPS. He’s also a perfect 7-for-7 stealing bases. He probably needs a fresh start somewhere other than Cincinnati at this point, but there’s still ample talent here. He only just turned 25 last month.

Stewart is the clear favorite to take home the hardware after hitting .263/.330/.457 with 32 homers, 112 RBI and 15 steals across 162 games. That shouldn’t diminish what the other two finalists accomplished, as both put together remarkable rookie campaigns of their own. Benge made a compelling late-season push to turn the race into a legitimate debate, finishing with a .282/.346/.430 slash line, 20 homers and 22 steals across 156 contests. Wetherholt also enjoyed an impressive debut, batting .242/.339/.365 with 89 runs scored, 17 homers, 51 RBI and 14 steals in 139 games.

Brito has played first base in both games. The former Guardians prospect finished this year on the Reds’ roster after being DFA’d and traded at the deadline, and he wound up hitting .309/.339/.509 in 59 plate appearances. He’s out of options, so if the Reds keep him on their 40-man this winter, it’d suggest they see him earning at least a utility spot next spring.

The Gigantes opened the season with Reds outfielders batting first and second; Jorge was in center field and Noelvi Marte went 1-for-3 with a steal as the team’s right fielder. One imagines the Reds will bring in at least one starting outfielder this winter, but that’d still leave plenty of room for JJ Bleday, Dane Myers, Héctor Rodríguez, Blake Dunn, Jorge and Marte to battle things out. That said, it’d be no surprise if Marte is moved.

Cabrera spent almost the entire season in the Yankees’ organization at the Triple-A level, hitting .288 with 19 home runs and a .790 OPS. He was designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Reds in late September. He will battle for a bench spot in spring training.

Johnson, 27, went 1-for-16 in 16 games with the Reds this year before finishing the season in the minors. He hit .247/.354/.424 with 11 homers and 15 steals in 73 games while mostly playing second base and left field for Louisville.

The 28-year-old Williamson winds up 5-5 with a 5.30 ERA over 12 outings in his return from Tommy John. He’ll probably have a chance to stick around and complete for a spot next year, but middle relief might be a better home for him than the rotation.

Stewart collected just six RBI and saw his OPS fall from .826 to .787 during the month of September, which might well cost him NL Rookie of the Year honors. He does have 32 homers, and he’s finished third in the majors with 111 RBI. However, a first baseman with a sub-.800 OPS probably doesn’t deserve the hardware in this crowded of a field.

The 35-year-old slugger and impending free agent started each of the previous five games, so he’ll get a breather at least to begin this one. I’d expect to see him make an appearance off the bench in what could be his final at-bat with the Reds. Juan Brito will start at third base for the Reds and will bat fifth against Jays’ right-hander Max Scherzer.

Bleday’s home run was his 24th of the season. He hit a solo shot off Trey Yesavage in the second inning. Bleday’s power is real. He’s hit at least 20 home runs in two of the last three years and has slugged at least .400 in three consecutive season. The question will be if that’s enough for him to remain a regular everyday player for Cincinnati next year.

Lowder gave up three hits, walked two and struck out two. He’ll finish the year 7-12 with a 5.74 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 103 strikeouts in 133 1/3 innings over 26 starts and 29 appearances. Lowder’s 4.85 xFIP suggests it’ll take a significant skills change for him to become fantasy-relevant.

Elly joined the 30/30 club in the top of the third inning when he doubled off Blue Jays starter José Soriano and then stole third soon after. The double was also the 30th of the season for Elly, who became the fourth player in Reds history to join the 30/30 club and continues to swing a hot bat in the final week of the season. Elly is slashing .377/.461/.792 in September with 14 extra-base hits, 17 RBI and five steals.

The Jays hit Lodolo early and often in this one, smacking three doubles off of the lefty in the bottom of the first inning that resulted in two runs coming across to score. Those would be the only two runs Lodolo would allow in the game. He would escape a bases-loaded jam in the second inning and would be pulled at the top of the sixth inning after hitting Nathan Lukes with a pitch to start the frame. Lodolo’s season ends with a 3-6 record and a 4.97 ERA.

De La Cruz’s home run was his 30th of the season. He hit a solo shot off Tyler Mahle in the third inning. His 30 homers and .521 slugging are both career-highs for the 24-year-old shortstop. De La Cruz may never come close to stealing 67 bases again, but he remains a fantasy stud nonetheless.

Jorge’s home run was the first of his MLB career. He hit a solo shot off Tyler Mahle in the first inning. Jorge was called up to the majors at the start of September. While he’s only had 34 at-bats, he’s been overmatched, hitting .147 with only two extra-base hits.

Pagán’s save was his 25th of the season. He pitched around a lead-off singled to preserve a one-run lead for the Reds. Pagán certainly has the trust of manager Terry Francona, picking up 57 saves under the skipper over the last two seasons.

Singer gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out one. 2026 was a tough season for Singer. He finished with a career-worst 5.85 ERA, which was certainly not what he was hoping for heading into free agency.

Brito was an absolute thorn in Chris Sale’s side here. He opened the game with a lead-off home run and then after Sale retired the next eight batters he faced, Brito laced a single. Not many hitters have ever had Sale’s number, so it bodes well for Brito as he still searches for stable footing in the big leagues. That was his third home run of the season through 95 at-bats.