The upside of this year’s team will be impacted significantly by the seasons that the Reds get from Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder and Sal Stewart.
Burns had a successful rookie season in 2025, which was his first full year of professional baseball. He made eight starts, struck out batters at an elite rate and then shifted to the bullpen down the stretch as a way to manage his innings.
This year gives Burns a chance to show who he really is and can be over a full season.
“I’m a competitive guy,” Burns said. “I’m trying to punch tickets (strikeouts) every time. Why not? I’m trying to get three pitches and an out as quick as possible. I try not to waste pitches. I love the competitiveness. I love it. I love getting fired up out there. I play the game with a lot of passion. I love going out there and showing off my stuff.”
While he isn’t revealing his goals publicly — he keeps those goals between him and his dad — Burns has high hopes for 2026.
“We hold myself to a high standard. He helped me get to this spot,” Burns said. “I’ve got all kinds of goals. Am I going to share it? Probably not. I’m thinking big. I’m always thinking big.”
Burns is competing for the fifth spot in the rotation with Rhett Lowder, who posted a 1.17 ERA in MLB in 2024 before missing the entire 2025 season with elbow and oblique injuries.
Lowder made his spring training debut on Saturday and made a strong impression.
“He pitches like a veteran,” Francona said. “He had good stuff. He locates. He had good movement. In an era where there’s a lot of grip and rip, he’s a pitcher.”
Having two recent first-round picks competing for the final spot in the rotation is a great problem for the Reds to have. Also, since starting pitching depth always gets tested during a season, it should go a long way having both Burns and Lowder ready to go.
“We know that for us to compete and be competitive, we’re going to have to develop a lot of our pitching,” Terry Francona said. “That’s just the way it is. That’s ok. I actually kind of like it because there are fewer surprises. The more successful you can be developing, the better you’ll be organizationally.”
Stewart, the favorite to be the Reds’ primary first baseman in 2026, has been given the nickname “Salbert.” No one is comparing him to future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols … but Stewart is a strong first baseman who can really hit.
A Reds’ offense that needs more firepower is counting on getting the next step from Stewart, who’s aiming to be the Rookie of the Year.
This year, Stewart has a chance to be one of the Reds’ best power threats and hit anywhere between second and fifth in the order at some point.
“The sky is the limit for Sal,” catcher Jose Trevino said. “He has a special heart. Special character. And a ton of great talent. Untapped talent. Talent we’ve all seen already. The offseason was huge for him. He made it a point to get things done, and he did that.”
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