While the Cincinnati Reds entered this week seven games back in the National League Wild Card race, manager Terry Francona is playing to win. Instead of going all-in on giving young players more at-bats, calling up more prospects, and shifting the focus toward the future, he’s using his best lineups for a given day.
In that mix on the current active big league roster, there are still several interesting young players and rookies who have a chance to earn bigger roles down the stretch this season and into 2027. While the Reds’ playoff odds this year are slim, they still need a couple of young pieces to emerge as guys who they can count on going forward.
Here are the three most interesting Reds to watch for the season’s final five weeks.
Second baseman Matt McLain
While McLain hasn’t been productive at the plate since the 2023 season, the Reds were reminded of the value of his defense when he was on the injured list for a few weeks in July. He recently set a franchise record for most games at second base without an error, and his consistent impact defense has been something the Reds can count on.
He still recognizes that he needs to be better at the plate than he’s been over the last two seasons. “I’ve just got to hit the fastball,” says McLain. “I haven’t done that consistently this year for long periods of time. In this game, if you’re tardy for the fastball, you’re going to get beat. Up to this point, that’s summed up the reason. It’s frustrating because I’ve always been a fastball hitter. But we’re working. My at-bats are getting better.”
McLain has noticeably looked better over the last couple of weeks. He’s improved at being ready for the fastball, and a minor tweak to his batting stance looks like it’s helped. The Reds need him to keep up the momentum down the stretch, and he needs to up his production offensively to be the Reds’ long-term solution at second base.
Outfielder Héctor Rodriguez
The start to his big league career has been an enigma. As a prospect, Rodriguez profiled as a strong hitter though he struggled defensively. In the big leagues over the last two weeks after making his debut, he’s been slumping at the plate but has done a nice job in the outfield.
His confidence hasn’t been shaken. “I know I’m going to hit,” Rodriguez says via interpreter Tomás Vera. “I’ve been putting more emphasis on my defense because I need to get better at that. (The slow start) doesn’t impact me because I know I’m going to hit. I’m going to keep working. I haven’t achieved what I wanted yet, but I’m going to keep working the way I want to.”
The Reds’ offense needs more punch, and Rodriguez has the tools to hit for batting average while producing impressive power. For a team needing help in the middle of its order, he has the talent to step into a prominent role. To get there, though, he needs to do a better job of recognizing and handling breaking balls that are designed to get him to swing and miss. If Rodriguez doesn’t finish strong at the plate, there will be one more question mark in the Reds’ outfield going into 2027.
Reliever Luis Mey
This season got away from the Reds in May and June, a stretch where they had one of the worst bullpens in baseball. During that time, Mey was in the big leagues sporadically and struggled throwing strikes. The Reds optioned him to Triple-A in June.
A few weeks ago in Triple-A, Mey met with minor league coaches about what he needed to do to throw more strikes. The group decided that he should exclusively pitch out of the stretch. After making that adjustment, he’s looked like a different pitcher. He was called up a couple of weeks ago and has really shined.
Mey has some of the most overpowering velocity you’ll see, with a potentially dominant sinker. He has the stuff to be a late-game reliever, and his goal is to become a great closer. The Reds certainly could use help this year and into the future in the back of their bullpen, and they’ll give him high-leverage opportunities down the stretch.
Charlie Goldsmith has covered the Reds and Bengals since 2020, and his newsletter on the teams can be found at charlieschalkboard.substack.com.
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