The Cincinnati Reds are heading into the 2026 season with both anticipation and a fair share of lingering questions. The team’s recent history is marked by flashes of brilliance on the mound and bursts of potential at the plate, but fans and analysts alike are wondering: who will step up to deliver the next historic moment for this storied franchise?
Let’s start on the mound, where the Reds’ legacy of pitching excellence looms large. The franchise boasts 17 no-hitters in its history, with the most recent gem coming from Wade Miley back on May 7, 2021, when he dominated the Cleveland Guardians. That nearly five-year gap without a no-hitter isn’t the longest drought in Reds history—Tom Browning’s perfect game in 1988 and Homer Bailey’s first no-no in 2012 were separated by a whopping 14 years—but it’s long enough to have fans itching for another magical night at Great American Ball Park.
Who’s most likely to end the wait? The Reds’ current rotation is packed with talent. Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, and Nick Lodolo each notched a complete-game shutout in 2025, showcasing the kind of stuff that could one day etch their names into the franchise’s record books. Top prospects Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns are also waiting in the wings, bringing pedigree and promise that has fans dreaming of future glory.
Yet, if you’re looking for the pitcher with the right mix of experience, stamina, and recent performance, Nick Lodolo stands out. At 27, the left-hander just wrapped up a career-high workload in 2025, throwing two complete games—including a dazzling four-hitter against the Nationals in July where he didn’t allow a single walk. That kind of efficiency is key when it comes to chasing a no-hitter, as it keeps pitch counts manageable and limits the traffic on the basepaths.
Lodolo’s 2025 numbers tell a compelling story. The first time through the order, opponents managed just a .211 batting average against him. That number did jump to .256 during the second trip through, but remarkably, it dropped back down to .219 the third time around. While that second-time-through hiccup is something to watch, Lodolo has shown the ability to settle in and keep hitters off balance deep into games—a vital trait for anyone with no-hit ambitions.
Of course, as history reminds us, predicting a no-hitter is always a bit of a fool’s errand. Who would’ve guessed that Wade Miley, with his 5.65 ERA in just over 14 innings in 2020, would be the one to carve up the Guardians in 2021? That’s the beauty—and agony—of baseball: greatness can come from the most unexpected places. Still, Lodolo seems as good a bet as any to deliver the next slice of Reds pitching history in 2026, provided he remains healthy and in Cincinnati’s rotation.
While pitching might steal the headlines, the Reds’ offense is also a focal point as the offseason rolls on. After a flurry of bullpen moves, the lineup remains largely unchanged—a situation that has some fans worried and others looking for answers within the current roster. Enter Will Benson, the 27-year-old outfielder who just might be the key to unlocking the team’s offensive potential in 2026.
Benson’s journey has been anything but smooth. Once a top prospect with the Cleveland Guardians, he got his first taste of the majors in 2022, but it was a rough introduction: just 28 games, a .182/.250/.200 slash line, and a sky-high 31.1% strikeout rate. It looked like the learning curve might be too steep.
But after joining the Reds in 2023, Benson turned heads with a breakout year. Over 108 games, he posted a robust .275/.365/.498 line, good for an .863 OPS and a 128 OPS+. His strikeout rate remained high at 31.3%, but the production was undeniable. If he could cut down on the whiffs, the thinking went, his ceiling would be even higher.
The 2024 season, however, brought him crashing back to earth. Benson struggled through a sophomore slump, finishing with a -1.4 bWAR, a .650 OPS, and an OPS+ of 76. Ouch. Yet, beneath the surface, there were signs that all was not lost. In 2025, Benson played 90 games and stepped to the plate 253 times, slashing .226/.273/.435 with a .708 OPS and 88 OPS+. Not numbers that jump off the page, but a deeper look reveals a player who quietly made significant strides.
For starters, Benson recorded a career-high 53.8% hard-hit rate in 2025, up more than 11% from his impressive rookie season. His average exit velocity climbed to 92.4 mph, a 2.2 mph improvement. He continued to hit line drives at an elite rate—26.6% in 2025 versus 27.0% in 2023—and, crucially, he corrected a major flaw from the previous year by reducing his pull rate from 41.7% to 32.5%. That adjustment helped him avoid those easy groundouts that plagued him in 2024.
Perhaps most encouraging was his progress with strikeouts. After a disastrous 39.7% K-rate in 2024, Benson slashed that number to a much more manageable 26.5% in 2025. That’s the kind of improvement that can turn a talented but inconsistent hitter into a lineup mainstay. Unfortunately, manager Terry Francona didn’t always see eye to eye with Benson’s approach, limiting his playing time after mistakes and giving opportunities to less productive players. It’s tough to build rhythm and confidence in that kind of environment.
Still, the advanced metrics suggest Benson was on the verge of something big. If he’d played a full season—say, 150 games and 500-600 plate appearances—his counting stats would likely have matched the quality of his batted-ball profile. In a smaller sample, luck and opportunity can skew the numbers, but the underlying skill is there.
Looking ahead, Benson is poised to be a major part of the Reds’ quest to return to the postseason in 2026. The front office has shown faith in the current lineup, and the hope is that Benson’s combination of power, speed, and improved approach at the plate will finally translate into the breakout campaign fans have been waiting for.
As the 2026 season approaches, the Reds are a team balanced on the edge of promise and potential. With Nick Lodolo ready to chase history on the mound and Will Benson primed for an offensive breakout, Cincinnati’s faithful have plenty of reasons to keep their eyes glued to the action. Whether it’s a no-hitter, a postseason run, or something entirely unexpected, the coming year promises to be anything but dull for Reds fans.
