Can the Cincinnati Reds Fix Their Offense for 2027?

Their offense struggled in 2026.

Aug 19, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) celebrates with shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) after hitting a three run home run during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 Cincinnati Reds were bad at offense. No other way to put it. According to reporting by Mark Sheldon, the Reds plan on upgrading their offense this offseason. The question becomes: will the Reds make the right moves to help them be better in 2027, or will they not do enough and end up being one of the worst offenses in Major League Baseball again?

The 2026 Cincinnati Reds Offense

The Reds' lineup, outside of Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart, largely struggled with consistency at the plate. De La Cruz delivered his first 30/30 season of his career despite missing three weeks in June, while Stewart is a favorite for the National League's Rookie of the Year after hitting 32 homers with 112 RBIs. And yet the Reds offense was one of the worst in Major League Baseball.

The Reds were last in the majors in batting average (.229) and on-base percentage (.305) and had the most strikeouts in the National League (1,544). And that was after signing free-agent slugger Eugenio Suárez plus free agent JJ Bleday, who was player of the month in May.

Moreover, the Reds had the fourth-highest whiff rate (27.1%), while tied for the highest strikeout rate in the majors (25.5%). They also ranked 26th in in-zone contact rate (82.2%). This roster is not fitting into the offensive philosophy of their manager. Francona's philosophy is not giving outs away easily at the dish and having good plate discipline. This roster simply did not do that.

Will the Reds' front office do enough this off-season to upgrade this roster and find guys that fit Francona's philosophy?

Can the Reds make significant offensive upgrades?

President of Baseball Ops Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador said they must raise the floor of their 2027 roster.

"We didn’t do a great job with the bottom of the roster," they said. "We need to do a better job of filling in the bottom of the roster, whether it’s complementary players or some of the starters, doing a better job to get Tito more guys that he can platoon with, that are usable platoon guys".

So, the front office knows what they need to do this offseason. But can they accomplish their goals? If Ke'Bryan Hayes struggles in 2027, will the manager have the courage to bench him? Will the front office and Ownership find a way to move his contract? Can Krall and company find platoon players that will contribute (at least) at a league-average level? Time will tell.

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