Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) rounds second on his way to score on a Tyler Stephenson double in the seventh inning of the MLB National League Wild Card Game 1 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. The Dodgers won game 1 of the series, 10-5. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati Reds 2026 Lineup Projection Looks All Too Familiar

Originally posted on Cincinnati Reds on SI
By Greg Kuffner | Last updated Jan 14, 2026 6:45 PM ET

Spring Training is approaching in a hurry. With less than a month away until pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear, Cincinnati Reds beat writer Mark Sheldon projected what the everyday lineup might look like.

TJ Friedl - CF
Noelvi Marte - RF
Elly De La Cruz - SS
Spencer Steer 1B
Sal Stewart - DH
JJ Bleday - LF
Tyler Stephenson - C
Matt McLain - 2B
Ke'Bryan Hayes - 3B

This lineup is very similar to what last year's lineup looked like, which struggled offensively in a big way. JJ Bleday replaces Austin Hayes and Sal Stewart replaces Gavin Lux in this projection.

With this lineup, it certainly feels like the front office is clinging to the hope that many of these players will bounce back after a rough 2025 season.

Guys like Matt McLain, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Spencer Steer would fall into that bucket.

There is still a month for the front office to go out and find an impact bat that this team desperately needs to help this offense heading into the 2026 season.

You can see Sheldon's full article here.

This article first appeared on Cincinnati Reds on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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