5 Greatest Cincinnati Reds Hitters of All Time

Joe Morgan arrived in Cincinnati in 1972 and proceeded to be an All-Star in each of his eight seasons with the club. 

A core member of the Big Red Machine, Morgan won back-to-back National League MVP awards in 1975 and 1976 while earning five Gold Gloves with the Reds. He led the NL in both WAR and on-base percentage four times, and in walks twice during his Cincinnati career.

Morgan ranks first in Reds history with a .415 on-base percentage, second with 406 stolen bases, and sixth with both 881 walks and 57.9 WAR.

3. Barry Larkin (1986-2004)

Like Johnny Bench before him, Barry Larkin spent his entire career with the Reds, establishing himself as one of the greatest shortstops in franchise history.

A 12-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger, and three-time Gold Glover, Larkin ranks among the Reds' all-time leaders in nearly every major offensive category.

He is second in franchise history with 2,340 hits, third with 1,329 runs scored, 379 stolen bases and 70.5 WAR, fourth with 3,527 total bases and 939 walks, and seventh with 960 RBIs. 

The 1995 NL MVP helped lead the Reds to the 1990 World Series championship and later became one of baseball's premier shortstops. He also led the NL with a 7.0 WAR in 1998 and hit .300 or better in five consecutive seasons from 1989 to 1993, including a career-best .342 average in 1989.

2. Johnny Bench (1967-1983)

Johnny Bench is widely regarded as the greatest catcher in baseball history. He revolutionized the position. He also set the standard for generations of catchers while serving as the cornerstone of the Big Red Machine.

A two-time National League MVP (1970, 1972), 14-time All-Star, and 10-time Gold Glove award winner, Bench spent his entire 17-year career with the Reds.

He was one of the driving forces behind Cincinnati's back-to-back World Series championships in 1975 and 1976 and established himself as one of the franchise's most iconic players.

When he retired in 1983, Bench ranked first in Reds history with 389 home runs and 1,376 RBIs and second only to Pete Rose with 75.1 WAR. 

1. Pete Rose (1963-78, 1984-86)

No player is more closely associated with the Reds than Pete Rose. He’s Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader with 4,256 career hits.

During his 19 seasons with Cincinnati, “Charlie Hustle" won three NL batting titles, collected at least 200 hits nine times, led the league in hits seven times, and paced the NL in doubles five times.

A 17-time All-Star, Rose remains the Reds' all-time franchise leader in hits (3,358), runs scored (1,741), total bases (4,645), and WAR (78.1), cementing his place as the greatest player in club history.

Rose was the catalyst for the Big Red Machine, helping lead the Reds to back-to-back World Series championships in 1975 and 1976. He batted .321 in the postseason during those title runs and earned 1975 World Series MVP honors.

On-field success aside, we'd be remiss not to mention that Rose, who died in September 2024 at the age of 83, is also one of baseball's most controversial figures in history.