Three Bold Predictions for the Cincinnati Reds Ahead of the 2026 Season

After the long offseason, Opening Day is finally here. The Reds added more positional player depth this offseason, fine tuned their bullpen, and added a power bat in Eugenio Suarez.

With the season finally here, I have three bold predictions for the season.

Elly De La Cruz Will Win the National Leauge MVP Award

Mar 20, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) hits against the Chicago Cubs in the third inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

There is no denying that Elly De La Cruz is one of the most talented players in Major League Baseball. While his season as a whole was disappointing a year, he was fantastic in the first half of the season, slashing .284/.359/.495 with 39 extra-base hits and 25 stolen bases.

In the second half of the season, De La Cruz was playing through a difficult quad injury that really hampered his numbers. In 65 games, he slashed .236/.303/.666 with 21 extra-base hits and just 12 stolen bases.

De La Cruz put on a lot of muscle this offseason and went back to his big leg kick at the plate, as opposed to the toe tap that he had tried for part of last season.

While Shohei Ohtani is a ridiculous -145 to win the National League MVP Award, De La Cruz is the fifth favorite at +2500. If he can continue to improve and play like he did in the first half of last season, De La Cruz could have a 40 home run, 40 stolen base season, which could lead him to the NL MVP.

Matt McLain Will Have an OPS Above .800

Mar 12, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

When Matt McLain broke onto the scene in 2024, he was arugably Cincinnati's best player, slashing .290/.357/.507 with 43 extra-base hits and 14 stolen bases.

However, in 2024, he hurt his shoulder in Spring Training, which forced him to miss the entire season. In 2025, he played in 147 games, which was promising, but really struggled. The second baseman slashed .220/.300/.343 with 33 extra-base hits and 18 stolen bases.

It can take some time to come back from major shoulder surgery.

This spring, McLain has been one of the best players in the sport. While you should always take Spring Training stats with a grain of salt, there is no denying McLain has looked much better. If he can continue that into the regular season, I think he can easily have an OPS over .800 like he did in his rookie season.

The Reds Will Win 90+ Games and Terry Francona Will Win NL Manager of the Year

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) returns to the dugout from the pitchers mound in the fifth inning of a Cactus League game between the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even with Hunter Greene being out until at least July, the Reds have strong pitching depth that should carry them. Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder will need to step up, but there is a reason they were former first round draft picks.

The offense improved over the offseason. They added Nathaniel Lowe, Dane Myers, and Eugenio Suarez, who all should help this team in different ways. Sal Stewart is also ready and should play a full season after getting called up in September a year ago and playing in just 18 games.

It's a deeper lineup than a year ago and a lineup with much more pop. If their pitching does what they should do and the offense improves, there is no reason this team can't win 90 or more games. And if the Reds win 90 or more games, Terry Francona will be in the running for Manager of the Year.