TORONTO – Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said he appreciated the buy-in he got from players and staff this season, but didn’t mince words when it came to what he wants to see different next year no matter who’s on the team.
“We have to get tougher,” Francona said after his team lost the final series of the season in Toronto to finish with its worst record (77-85) since it tanked its way to 100 losses in 2022.
“Whether that means in the batter’s box with two strikes, we’ve got to set the bar a little higher and get tougher,” he said. “That’s not an easy thing to do, but that was the big thing when (hitting coach Chris Valaika) was talking to the hitters and same thing with (assistant pitching Matt Tracy) and the pitchers.”
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A long list of final numbers produced by this team underscored the manager’s point, including a lineup that struck out more than any other team in the National League and a pitching staff that walked more than anyone else in the majors – including seven consecutive batters in a game in May, tying an MLB record.
They were among the worst-fielding teams in baseball, scored the fewest runs in the NL, and only two MLB teams had a worse team ERA than the Reds’ 4.83.
“I think we had – hiccups is not the right word – but (problems) along the way in every phase,” Francona said. “Offensively, we’ve been challenged in areas, defensively at times. Pitching. And in our game you might go a week and not get exposed, but not over the course of a (season).”
It’s impossible to know what this roster might look like once they get together for spring training next year, especially given labor uncertainty that might upset the free agency market and delay the season.
In fact, it seems doubtful that enough can be done to make up the deficits to reasonably expect to build a competitive season out of the rubble of this one.
“I’ll never not be optimistic, I don’t care who it is,” Francona said. “But there’s a lot of work to do. And we know that.”
For now, here are the team numbers that tell the story of a sunken season – numbers that defy the fourth-ranked home run total in the majors (213) and the individual star power of 30-30 Elly De La Cruz and young All-Stars Chase Burns (15-3, 2.86) and Sal Stewart (.263, 32 home runs, 111 RBIs, likely Rookie of the Year award):
Cincinnati Reds lineup
- 4.11 – Runs per game, last in the NL (only three AL teams were worse)
- .229 – MLB-worst batting
- .305 – MLB-worst on-base percentage
- .699 – Second-worst OPS in NL
- 1,544 – NL-high strikeouts (second in MLB)
Cincinnati Reds pitching
- 668 – MLB-high walk total
- 342 – NL-high walk total for starting rotation
- 214 – Home runs allowed (5th most MLB)
- 1,291 – Strikeouts (eighth-lowest total in MLB)
- 4.83 – 28th-ranked ERA in MLB
- 4.97 – 28th-ranked starting rotation ERA in MLB
Cincinnati Reds fielding*
- -30 – Defensive runs saved, fourth-worst in MLB
- -8.4 – Overall defensive rating (17 MLB teams are better)
*per Fangraphs.com
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'We have to get tougher.' Reds 2026 numbers tell story of weak season
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