Reds Beat: Why The Excitement Over The Reds Over Just 11 Games Is Legit, Focus Is On Doing ‘Everything You Can To Win A Game’

There’s a lot to like about these 2026 Reds just 11 games into the season.

A very small sample size to be sure but after watching Tuesday’s performance in Miami, there’s reason to think this group has the potential to be a lot different than Reds teams in years past.

The Reds were two runs down against the best pitcher on the Miami staff and one of the very best in the National League in Sandy Alcantara. He had yielded just two hits over eight scoreless innings. This seemed to be the game where the Reds were finally going to lose a game decided by two runs or fewer. They had won their previous seven.

Then Matt McLain doubled and everything changed. The tying run was brought to the plate and Alcantara had no interest in giving Elly De La Cruz anything resembling a pitch he could handle to tie the game. So, he walked him. Then a double steal. Then a sacrifice fly from Sal Stewart. Not only did McLain score, De La Cruz advanced to third, a small but critical detail in this game. Eugenio Suarez watched a sweeper from Alcantara fly out of the strike zone, restraining any offer to swing and taking his free pass to first. Again a small and critical detail.

Enter closer Anthony Bender. The right-hander bounced a pitch to Spencer Steer, allowing De La Cruz, who was paying close attention, to race home with the tying run.

Emilio Pagan got out of a second-and-third, one-out jam in the bottom of the ninth after back-to-back walks with one out. He struck out Augustin Ramirez and got Jakob Marsee to fly to left. At that point, a Reds win felt like a formality. They had done so many little things well, save for the back-to-back one-out walks.

McLain, who doubled home two insurance runs in the tenth of a 6-3 win over the Marlins, told Jim Day of Reds.TV that it was a collective focus on staying patient and “wearing down” Alcantara. McLain said while Alcantara was on in the first eight innings, the goal was simply to “get a good pitch to hit” and get on base for his teammates. And he did that with the one-out double to left, the first extra-base hit Alcantara allowed this season. McLain, who entered the game batting just .216, acknowledged that the team is still striving for offensive consistency, stating, “Obviously, we want to be better as an offense… we always want to be better.”

“At the end of the day we’re winning, (and the focus is on doing) everything you can to win a game,” McLain told Day.

One more thing, the Reds haven’t committed an error in their first 11 games. That’s a new club record to start a season and ranks among the best such streaks in baseball over the last 125 years. The only ones longer to start a season since at least 1901 are the 2022 Padres (16) and the 2022 Royals (12). The Reds’ previous longest errorless streak to start a season was 8 in 2005.

Even when the Reds haven’t been scoring runs they’ve been finding ways to win. The Reds have surged to an 8–3 record through their first 11 games of the 2026 season, marking their best start since 2011. This early success, underscored by a dominant 5–0 road record, is fueled by a dramatic defensive turnaround and the emergence of elite young talent under skipper Terry Francona, who opening spring training by telling his young team that after tasting the postseason in 2025, “it’s time” to show you’re capable of a lot more.

A lot has gone well for the Reds to open the 2026 season. To wit:

Record: 8–3, 1st Place, NL Central
Road Record: 5–0 Club’s best road start since 1990
Defensive Errors: 0 Only MLB team without an error
Run Differential: 10 Boosted by 6–3 and 2–0 road wins

The Foundations of the 8–3 Start

1. A Historic Defensive Transformation

The most striking development is the Reds’ “clean baseball” identity. After ranking near the bottom of the league with 87 errors in 2025, the Reds did not commit a single error through their first nine games—a franchise record.

Ke’Bryan Hayes:
Acquired to anchor third base, his elite defense has stabilized the infield.
Middle Infield:
A healthy Matt McLain and an improved Elly De La Cruz have provided a “deadly” defensive partnership that was missing during injury-plagued 2025 campaigns.

2. The Emergence of Sal Stewart

Rookie Sal Stewart has been the spark plug of the offense. Through 11 games, the 22-year-old is batting .351 with a 1.063 OPS and two home runs. His ability to draw walks (9) while maintaining power has demonstrated why many feel he could be the best pure hitter in the Reds lineup and why Francona has entrusted him with the cleanup spot in the batting order while still a true rookie. Stewart began his 2026 rookie campaign by winning NL Player of the Week honors. Through the first 11 games, he is slashing .351/.468/.595 with 2 home runs and an OPS of 1.063. He also made history by becoming the youngest player since 1900 to reach base safely 3+ times in each of his team’s first four games.

3. Rotation Depth Overcoming Injuries

Despite losing ace Hunter Greene (elbow surgery) and Nick Lodolo (blister) early, the rotation has remained effective.

Andrew Abbott: The southpaw has emerged as the de facto ace, building on his All-Star 2025 season by setting a dominant tone on Opening Day.

Rhett Lowder: Returning after missing all of 2025, Lowder delivered a strong five-inning outing in his first start, signaling that the Reds’ pitching depth is deeper than projected. Lowder’s 1.30 ERA is also the fifth-lowest mark by any Major League pitcher (min. 4ip/start) through his first eight career starts in the expansion era (since 1961), behind only:

–Fernando Valenzuela (0.50, 1981 w/LAD)
–Cisco Carlos (0.95, 1967-68 w/CWS)
–Shota Imanaga (0.96, 2024 w/Chc)
–Phil Niekro (1.23, 1965-67 w/Atl, Mon)

4. The “Francona Effect” and Veteran Presence

The return of franchise icon Eugenio Suárez has provided veteran leadership and right-handed protection for De La Cruz. Manager Terry Francona’s emphasis on “clean baseball” has clearly resonated, with the team finding ways to win tight, one-run, and extra-inning games through disciplined play.

Why Bigger Things Are Ahead in 2026
The Reds’ hot start isn’t just a streak; it’s a proof of concept for a sustainable winning formula:
Projected Win Total: If the defense maintains its current trajectory, analysts suggest the Reds could reach 92 wins, easily surpassing preseason odds of 80.5.

Second-Half Reinforcements:

The team expects a “shot in the arm” mid-summer when Hunter Greene returns from the injured list.

Offensive Upside:

While stars like Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain have been steady, they have yet to reach their full “MVP-caliber” ceilings for a sustained period. If they click simultaneously with the red-hot Stewart, the lineup could approach the franchise home run record of 227. Of course, the flip side of this, the top of the order, ie. TJ Friedl needs to get on track and past performance indicates he will.

It’s 11 games or 1/16th of the season. It’s an incredibly small sample size. But a win like Tuesday night in Miami should open eyes to what this team is about this year.