4 Players the Reds Desperately Need More From Offensively

There is no other way around it. The Reds' offense has been abysmal this season. In fact, two of their better offensive players were signed on minor league deals, JJ Bleday and Nathaniel Lowe.

The Reds need more of their regulars to step up. If these four players don't step up and the Reds refuse to make a change, it could turn into a long season.

Matt McLain

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) fields a ground ball before throwing out Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield (7) in the first inning of the MLB baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While McLain has been outstanding defensively this season, his bat continues to struggle. After being one of the best players in all of Major League Baseball during Spring Training, Reds fans were hopeful McLain could turn it around offensively this season.

In 2023, McLain was promoted from Triple-A Louisville and was one of Cincinnati's best players almost immediately. He slashed .290/.357/.507 with 43 extra-base hits and 14 stolen bases. Then, he missed all of 2024 with a shoulder injury sustained in Spring Training. In 2025, he struggled mightily, slashing just .220/.300/.343 with 33 extra-base hits.

This year, it's been worse. In 36 games, McLain is slashing .189/.299/.283 with eight extra-base hits.

The advanced metrics don't give much reason to be optimistic, either. While he isn't chasing, he's simply not hitting the ball hard. His hard hit rate ranks him in the bottom 12% of the league. We're starting to wonder if we will ever see the 2023 version of Matt McLain again. I am not sure the Reds can afford to keep running him out there. Could we see Edwin Arroyo soon?

TJ Friedl

May 3, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl (29) drops the ball while fielding it on a double by the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

TJ Friedl has been bad offensively this season. He is slashing .190/.266/.286. He hasn't drawn a walk since April 12, and Reds manager Terry Francona continues to hit him in the leadoff spot.

His xBA, xSLG, xOBA, and xwOBA are all the lowest of his career and among the worst in all of MLB. Friedl should be nowhere near the top of the order. Most teams hit their best hitters leadoff, so they get more at-bats than everyone else on the team. For whatever reason, the Reds are hitting one of their worst hitters leadoff. It simply doesn't make sense.

Friedl is hitting just .077 against offspeed pitches this year. The Reds, at a minimum, should drop Friedl down in the lineup, but it might be time to see what Dane Myers can do with everyday playing time.

Tyler Stephenson

Apr 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (37) looks to the dougout before a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

It's been a strange year for Tyler Stephenson. He's hitting the ball harder than he ever has in his career, but his overall stats have been bad, slashing just .195/.297/.310. Simply put, the Reds need more out of him. In 29 games, Stephonson has just six extra-base hits and six RBIs.

His hard-hit rate is over 50%, which is incredible, but he's hitting the ball straight in the air 27.1% of the time, which turns into a lot of flyouts. If Stephenson could pull the ball more often, his numbers would skyrocket. However, he’s pulling the ball in the air just 13.6% of the time, and that’s never really been a big part of his game at the major league level. With the rest of the offense struggling like it is, the Reds need more production from their catcher.

Ke'Bryan Hayes

May 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke'bryan Hayes (3) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Ke'Bryan Hayes trade was a head scratcher when it happened and it's looking even worse now. In 32 games this season, Hayes is slashing .121/.184/.220 with four extra-base hits.

Also, his defense has been poor this season with an Outs Above Average of -2.

In his seven-year career, Hayes had an OPS above .700 just twice in his career, and one of those was in 2020 when he was called up and played in just 24 games.

Kebryan Hayes posted a .569 OPS and .573 OPS in the two seasons prior to being traded to the Cincinnati Reds. While the Reds didn’t acquire him for his bat, you simply can’t be that much of a liability offensively and continue to play every day.

The Reds have to find a way to get more out of Hayes, especially considering he’s under contract through 2029.

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