Previewing Cincinnati Reds Catcher Position Ahead of 2026 Season

Heading into the 2026 season, we are going to preview and break down each position for the Cincinnati Reds.

We are starting out with the catcher position.

Catchers on the 40-man Roster:

• Tyler Stephenson
• Jose Trevino
• Ben Rortvedt

Tyler Stephenson - 29 Years Old

Stephenson enters the 2026 season in his last season under team control. When healthy, the veteran is one of the best offensive catchers in the game.

He and reliever Graham Ashcraft are scheduled to become the first two Reds players since 2022 to go to arbitration.

The former top prospect catches a lot of heat from fans, but in my opinion, it's mostly unwarranted. Throughout most of his career, he has been expected to be one of the team's best hitters, which is asking a lot from a catcher.

“Among catchers with at least 100 starts over the last two seasons, Stephenson ranks sixth in OPS (.764)," Charlie Goldsmith recently wrote in an article on Charlie's Chalkboard.

Catchers with an above average bat are hard to find.

In 2025, Stephenson had a down season, slashing .231/.316/.421 with 31 extra-base hits in 88 games. While it was a down season for him, he was still among the top half of the league in OPS for catchers.

What is a bit alarming about his 2025 numbers is that his strikeout rate spiked from 22.7% to 33.9%. Previous to 2025, his strikeout rate had never been above 26.1%.

While Stephenson provides above-average offense for the position, his defensive profile is more of a mixed picture. His caught-stealing numbers rank in the 45th percentile, his framing sits in the 13th percentile, and his pop time ranks in the 28th percentile. Where he truly stands out is blocking balls in the dirt, as he ranks in the 95th percentile and consistently excels in that area.

I think we could see a bounce-back season from Stephenson at the dish. The Reds should seriously look at extending him, despite extending Trevino at the beginning of last season.

If Stephenson can find his 2022 and 2024 form, where he had an OPS of .854 and .782, it makes Cincinnati's offense much more dangerous.

Jose Trevino - 33 Years Old

The Reds acquired Trevino last offseason when they sent right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz to the New York Yankees. In March of 2025, the Reds agreed to a three-year extension with Trevino for $15 million.

On the season, Trevino struggled offensively, slashing .238/.272/.351 with 24 extra-base hits.

However, many fans remember his torrid offensive start when Stephenson was out with an injury to start the season.

From March 27 to April 31, Trevino had a wRC+ of 140 and slashed .323/.371/.508.

From May 1 to the end of the season, Trevino had a wRC+ of 44 and slashed .212/.242/.304. While the Reds didn't bring Trevino over because of his offensive prowess, it's a massive drop off for a team that struggles offensively when Stephenson is not in the lineup.

Trevino excels at pitch calling and leading a pitching staff. Those are things that don't show up on a stat sheet. He's also fantastic at framing pitches, ranking in the 68th percentile in Major League Baseball. However, for someone known for his defense, the rest of his metrics are not great. His blocks above average rank in the 22nd percentile, his caught stealing above average sits in the 29th percentile, and his pop time comes in at just the 10th percentile.

Trevino is a solid backup, but if you're relying on more from him with how the roster is currently constructed, you might be in trouble.

Ben Rortvedt - 28 Years Old

Reds claimed catcher Ben Rortvedt off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers in November. He was actually part of the three-team trade that sent Zack Littell to the Reds at the trade deadline.

Rortvedt appeared in 18 games for the Dodgers in the 2025 season, slashing .224/309/.327 with three extra-base hits.

He's appeared in 138 games in the big leagues in his career, also spending time with the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.

He's is just about average in every defensive metric. While he's certainly not someone you're going to build your lineup around, he is a serviceable backup and provides good depth in the system.

Summary

The Reds can be above average at the catcher position if Stephenson can cut down on his strikeouts and find his form from 2024, along with Trevino getting back to what he's capable of being defensively.

In a perfect world, you wouldn't need a ton of offense from your catchers, but this Reds roster lacks offense, and they need Stephenson to hit.