The Cincinnati Reds announced their 2026 Hall of Fame class on Tuesday, and it’s a doozy. Headlining it will be former manager Lou Piniella – he of the 1990 World Series Reds – as well as the likes of Brandon Phillips, Aaron Harang, and the perenially overlooked Reggie Sanders (who should have been in years ago).
The Reds made the announcement on Twitter.
Harang and BP were the players selected off the modern ballot, while both Lou and Reggie will go in via the veterans committee.
Harang emerged in the mid-aughts for a Reds franchise that had been the bane of pitching existence for a baseball generation at that point. Acquired from Oakland in the deal that sent Jose Guillen the other way, Harang put the pedal down in 2005 and kept it there for a three-year run that saw him post a trio of 200+ IP seasons and 15.7 total bWAR. In 2006 he became the first pitcher in National League history to lead the league in both wins and strikeouts and not win the Cy Young Award – and he didn’t even get a single vote! The next year he was arguably better (and more regarded) and finished 4th in NL CYA voting.
Phillips, of course, was plucked from Cleveland after flaming out as a top prospect and immediately became one of the most electric two-way players in the sport. Across 11 years with the Reds, he was valued at 28.6 bWAR and won four Gold Glove Awards, a Silver Slugger, made three All-Star teams, posted a 30/30 season, and even caught Jonathan Villar stealing with his buttcheeks.
Sweet Lou needs no introduction. The 1969 American League Rookie of the Year played 18 years in the game before embarking upon a managerial career that deserves recognition in Cooperstown. He ranks 17th overall with 1835 career victories, and the 1990 World Series he won with the Nasty Boys remains the highlight of his career overall.
Sanders was emblematic of the power/speed combo the Reds put together in their post-1990 run, and had the strike not sapped the 1994 season of its playoffs he may well have a World Series title to celebrate on his plaque, too. His 1995 season was positively epic (even though Barry Larkin actually winning the MVP that year has always overshadowed it), as he hit .306/.397/.579 (155 OPS+) with 28 homers, 36 steals, his lone All-Star appearance, and a 6th place finish in MVP voting. He posted 21.5 bWAR across his 8 seasons in Cincinnati before plying his trade across the NL for years later, and he remains one of just eight (8!) players ever in the 300 homers, 300 steals club.
Congrats to the newest members of the Reds Hall of Fame!
