By MIKE ROBERTS
This past week, the Cincinnati Reds played two series: one at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates and one on the road against the Texas Rangers. The Reds looked good in the opening game versus Pittsburgh, winning 2-0. However, they wound up losing the following two contests, both by a score of 8-3. Fortunately, though, the Reds picked themselves up and swept all three games against the Rangers. They currently own a 6-3 record, tied with the Pirates for second place in the National League Central behind the 7-2 Milwaukee Brewers.
Here are our awards handed to Reds players for their performance this past week:
Top Hitter
Elly De La Cruz (.243 AVG, .786 OPS, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB) is the Reds’ best player so it’s not surprising at all to see him receive this award. The two-time All-Star recorded at least one hit in every game this past week.
De La Cruz had three hits, including a solo home run, and an RBI against Pittsburgh. In three games against Texas, De La Cruz went 4-for-13 with another solo homer and three total RBIs. That included a single to drive home the winning run in the eighth inning of the series finale. In that contest, he went 2-for-5 with a run scored, that crucial RBI, and his first stolen base of the season. De La Cruz also has yet to commit an error this season; that’s been common for the 2026 Reds, who have played errorless defense through the first nine games of the season.
Best Starting Pitcher
Starter Chase Burns (1-0, 0.82 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) pitched twice for the Reds this past week. He dominated the Pirates in the opener of that series, allowing just one hit in five innings for his first Major League victory.
Then during Cincinnati’s most recent win against the Rangers, Burns took a shutout into the seventh inning before giving up a home run to Joc Pederson. He went six-plus innings and gave up five hits. He also struck out nine batters and walked one.
No doubt about it, Burns has been very impressive so far this season, as he has thrown offspeed pitches that are making hitters look clueless at the plate. Burns, who started his collegiate career at Tennessee before he transferred to Wake Forest, was the second overall pick in the 2024 draft.
MVP of the Bullpen
During the offseason, Cincinnati made a few notable additions to its bullpen such as Brock Burke, Pierce Johnson, and Caleb Ferguson. But perhaps the biggest improvement to the bullpen has been a returning relief pitcher: Graham Ashcraft (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP).
The 28-year-old flamethrower is looking like a breakout star for the Reds as his cutter is hitting speeds over 100 mph. He had five strikeouts against the Pirates and three against the Rangers. Ashcraft has held the opposition scoreless in three of his five outings so far this season.
Looking Ahead
Next up, the Reds will stay on the road and play a four-game series against the Miami Marlins. Then, concluding a stretch of 15 games in as many days, the Reds return home for a three-game series vs. the Los Angeles Angels that begins Friday. We’ll see if Angels outfielder Jo Adell robs any more home runs at Great American Ballpark.
Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule, including TV information and probable pitchers:
Monday, 4/6: 6:40 PM, MLB.TV, Brandon Williamson (CIN) vs. Janson Junk (MIA)
Tuesday, 4/7: 6:40 PM, MLB.TV, Andrew Abbott (CIN) vs. Sandy Alcantara (MIA)
Wednesday, 4/8: 6:40 PM, MLB.TV Brady Singer (CIN) vs. Eury Perez (MIA)
Thursday, 4/9: 12:10 PM, MLB.TV Rhett Lowder (CIN) vs. Max Meyer (MIA)
Friday, 4/10: 6:40 PM, Apple TV, Jack Kochanowicz (LAA) vs. Chase Burns (CIN)
Saturday, 4/11: 4:10 PM, MLB.TV Ryan Johnson (LAA) vs. Brandon Williamson (CIN)
Sunday, 4/12: 140 PM, MLB.TV Jose Soriano (LAA) vs. Andrew Abbott (CIN)