Through the first two weeks of the season, Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart are off to terrific starts at the plate. Otherwise, every other regular in the Cincinnati Reds lineup has a batting average below .225 and no more than two home runs. The Reds are looking for a third-best hitter to emerge, and they need it to happen sooner rather than later.
Entering Tuesday, Eugenio Suárez is hitting .224 with 10 singles in 13 hits, Spencer Steer is hitting .176, Tyler Stephenson is hitting .171, Matt McLain is hitting .217, and TJ Friedl is hitting .153. They’re all capable of being one of the best hitters on the team.
Another hitter who hasn’t met expectations is Noelvi Marte, who was optioned to Triple-A on Monday. He was one of the Reds’ most important players last season, but his approach at the plate so far in 2026 has left much to be desired. “He’s having a tough time,” says Terry Francona. “It looks like he’s trying to hit everything. We see him go up there and swing at a 2-0 breaking ball. Sometimes it’s hard to let the game come to you.”
Marte’s ceiling is about as high as any Reds player outside of De La Cruz, but he hasn’t looked like himself to start the year. After spending most of the last month of the 2025 season as the No. 2 hitter in the batting order, he’s back in Triple-A now.
The Reds called up a red-hot Rece Hinds from Louisville, and he’s likely going to get regular playing time in right field. He can help, but the Reds need some more of their most established hitters to develop in order to solve these early offensive woes.
Suárez is one of the hitters going through an adjustment process. He’s in a brand new role for him as a full-time designated hitter. He played third base effectively every single day for 10 years and before this season had totaled just 32 career starts at DH.
He’s still looking for a routine that works for him to keep him ready for at-bats. “I’m trying to keep my body moving and trying to figure out what’s best for me,” says Suárez. “Right now, I’ll keep my body moving, go inside between innings, try to move my legs, swing a little bit. Keep my rhythm to not be too comfortable or too loose during the game and to keep focused.”
Leadoff hitter and center fielder Friedl is in one of the worst slumps of his career. He was an on-base machine last year, but this season he hasn’t gotten on base or made much loud contact.
Francona has spoken optimistically about his expectations for Friedl and will mention his confidence in him without even being asked. “I think he’s a good hitter,” says Francona. “Has he had a good first two weeks? No. If you move him down to nine (in the order), he’s going to get hot. Let’s leave him where he is.”
On the bright side, even though the numbers haven’t been good for McLain and Steer, their processes looks good at the plate. They’ve made hard contact and have each delivered a few game-changing swings already. They look like hitters who could be on the verge of getting hot.
Steer has been in this situation before. Last year, he talked his way onto the Opening Day roster after dealing with a shoulder issue during Spring Training. He had a terrible start to the season but rebounded over the summer. After hitting a big homer on Saturday, he said, “That’s the process, not getting too wrapped in results. If you worry about results, this game will eat you alive.”
Marte was pressing a bit, chasing results before he got sent down to Louisville. The Reds are counting on the veterans in their lineup to avoid falling down the same rabbit hole.
The Reds had a nice first week-plus of the season and were carried by their young pitching staff during low-scoring games. Over the last week, we’ve been reminded that Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder are inexperienced pitchers who will have off nights. And Brady Singer and Andrew Abbott haven’t quite looked like themselves yet during their first starts of 2026. With the rotation missing Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, the lineup will have to pick up more slack by getting on track.
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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