5 storylines that have defined the Reds' start to '26 season

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- Saturday's very bad afternoon for the Reds -- a 17-7 loss to the Pirates -- and the one before it on Friday, took some of the shine off what had been a strong start to the season.

Cincinnati, which had sole possession of first place on May 1 for the first time since 2002 and at least part of first since April 14, fell to second place in a very competitive National League Central division and entered Sunday with a 20-13 record.

Obviously, there's a long, long way to go in the 2026 season. But here are five storylines happening amid the Reds’ first 33 games.

Stewart has shown no learning curve
Sal Stewart hit five home runs as a September callup last season, but his full-time addition to the lineup -- in the cleanup spot protecting Elly De La Cruz -- has been dynamic. The rookie has an .878 OPS, nine home runs and is tied for the MLB lead with 29 RBIs.

What's made Stewart impressive beyond the numbers is his baseball IQ at only 22 years old. He's a strong baserunner, knows the strike zone while doing well with ABS challenges and has hit the ball to all fields.

"He's hitting cleanup. We've put a lot on his plate, and he's handled everything we've put. He's probably going to get better. It's exciting for us," manager Terry Francona said.

Defensively, Stewart has made big improvements at first base -- a position he only began playing in 2025. He's gotten better instinctually at making plays and is in the right place at the right time more often.

"When you're not sure, it makes the physical part even harder," Francona said. "You're trying to think where you've got to go first. … Now he knows where he's going."

De La Cruz is healthy and productive
The third and fourth lineup spots of Stewart and De La Cruz have combined for 19 home runs entering Sunday. De La Cruz is the ninth Major Leaguer since 1900 with at least 10 homers and eight steals through his team's first 31 games and the first since the AJ Pollock with the Diamondbacks in 2018.

The switch-hitting De La Cruz has also raised his game significantly as a right-handed hitter with his 1.178 OPS vs. lefties this season, way up from his career .644 mark. He's hit six homers as a right-handed hitter in 2026.

"The work I put in the offseason was to be healthy, to be able to play every day. I just want to stay healthy," said De La Cruz, who played all 162 games last year despite being hampered with a left quadriceps strain that sapped his second-half production. "I feel pretty comfortable at the plate."

De La Cruz has continued to make some spectacular defensive plays -- including two over the past week -- but has improved, as well, at routine ones and making better throws that have helped him cut down on errors.

Overall offense not optimized
Outside the contributions of De La Cruz and Stewart, the Reds have managed to win games despite an overall lack of offense from the rest of the lineup. Although Cincinnati hitters have come around lately, the club ranks last in MLB in batting average (.220), 24th in OPS (.695) and tied for 21st in runs scored (141).

"At the beginning of the year, stats get magnified a little more," outfielder/first baseman Spencer Steer said. "You’ve just got to keep going. You’ve just got to keep trusting what you’re doing."

Pitching getting by without Greene and Lodolo
Cincinnati starters are only 26th in ERA (5.04) -- but were better than that entering the weekend -- while working without injured starters Hunter Greene (right elbow surgery to remove bone chips) and Nick Lodolo (left index finger blister).

The two youngest starters have done a nice job helping cover the losses of Greene and Lodolo. Rhett Lowder took a 3.18 ERA over six starts into Saturday before being roughed up for eight runs in only 1 1/3 innings. Chase Burns enters his scheduled Sunday start with a 3-1 record and a 2.65 ERA over six starts while racking up 39 strikeouts.

The bullpen came into the day ranked third in the NL with a 3.67 ERA before the wheels came off on Saturday.

"Sometimes when you look at the numbers, it doesn’t look like it might reach, but they’ve found a way to make it reach more often than not," Francona said. "That’s what you’re looking for."

The Reds are winning close games
In games decided by two runs or less, Cincinnati is 12-0 -- including 7-0 in one-run games. Considering that they're not hitting, that and their overall record is a testament to how they've performed in the areas of the game that get less attention -- like baserunning and defense.

"I think it’s been executing the little things," Steer said. "Like taking care of the baseball, throwing the ball to the right base. Backside runners baserunning, taking the extra base. You’ve got to do those things really well when you’re not hitting. … I think we’ve done a really good job of doing the little things right. That’s why we’re at where we’re at right now."