Top 50 Cincinnati Reds
This version of the Cincinnati Reds (there was one from 1876 to 1880 in the National League who were expelled for refusing to stop selling beer) can be traced to the American Association in 1892. They would win the pennant that year and would stick around there until they joined the National League in 1890.The Reds are a five-time World Series Champion (1919, 1940, 1975, 1976 & 1990) though they are mostly known for their success from the 1970s. Their 1919 win was known for the Chicago White Sox throwing the series, their 1990 win is more thought of Oakland choking and their 1940 title is hardly discussed at all.
Those 1970 wins are however likely never to be forgotten. “The Big Red Machine” boasted Hall of Famers, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Johnny Bench, and a plethora of other great players who populate our list.
Cincinnati may not be a large market but will always be a baseball market.
Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff performance, and post-season accolades. This is a list up to the end of the 2025 Season.
Traded from Pittsburgh in the winter of 1957, Bob Purkey matured instantly into the staff's most dependable engine, utilizing a specialized approach where he blended a traditional sinker and slider with a "hard" knuckleball. This craftsmanship reached a spectacular summit in 1962, a summer when he authored one of the most dominant individual seasons in franchise history. He finished with a staggering 23-5 record, leading the National League in win percentage and placing third in the Cy Young race. The most extraordinary aspect of his tenure was the technical precision he maintained while throwing a pitch known for its volatility.…
Pete Donohue’s path to the majors was swift, and by 1921, he had matured into the rotation's most dependable asset. He possessed a specialized ability to induce contact on his own terms, peaking between 1923 and 1926. During this four-year stretch, he was a high-frequency winner, eclipsing the 20-victory mark on three separate occasions. This was not merely the product of a potent lineup behind him; he was a model of specialized efficiency, twice finishing third in the league in ERA and consistently ranking among the elite in FIP, proving that he was the tactical master of his own destiny…
In an era when the "spitball" was a legal and lethal weapon, "Long" Bob Ewing emerged as its most sophisticated practitioner for the Cincinnati Reds. Standing tall on the mound during the first decade of the 1900s, he utilized his height and a deceptive delivery to keep the National League in a state of perpetual frustration. Ewing’s tenure in Cincinnati was defined by a remarkable three-year stretch of dominance beginning in 1905, a summer where he secured 20 victories and established himself as a premier tactical force. During this window, he was a model of specialized excellence, consistently ranking among…
In the rugged landscape of 1890s baseball, few pitchers arrived with the same immediate, submarine-fueled impact as Billy Rhines. Known as "Bunker" to his teammates, he utilized a deceptive underhanded delivery that confounded hitters during two distinct stretches in Southern Ohio. Rhines burst onto the major league scene in 1890 with a performance that remains a cornerstone of franchise history. As a twenty-one-year-old rookie, he navigated an immense workload, hurling over 400 innings and securing 28 victories for a Reds squad that was just finding its footing in the National League. This initial stay reached its summit immediately, as he…
In the annals of early 20th-century baseball, few players bridged the gap between pitching phenom and offensive juggernaut quite like Cy Seymour. While he initially established himself as a flamethrowing strikeout king for the Giants, it was his transformation into a full-time center fielder in Cincinnati that produced some of the most lopsided statistical seasons the Queen City has ever witnessed. Seymour’s arrival in Cincinnati signaled a radical shift in his career, as he moved away from the mound to focus exclusively on his left-handed swing. This transition bore fruit immediately, but the true pinnacle arrived in 1905, a summer…
Raffensberger functioned as the reliable foundation of the Cincinnati rotation throughout the late 1940s and early 50s. He was a model of level-headed consistency, utilizing a rare forkball and multiple arm angles to dismantle hitters through deception rather than raw power. Despite the lack of run support that often skewed his win-loss record, his individual efficiency was undeniable; he led the National League in WHIP in 1951 and consistently finished among the league leaders in fewest hits allowed per nine innings. He was a high-frequency workhorse who provided the tactical stability required to anchor a staff during some of the…
Goodman’s impact was felt the moment he stepped into the starting lineup in 1935, sparking the offense with a league-high 18 triples as a rookie. This high-velocity arrival was no fluke, as he repeated the feat the following summer, establishing himself as one of the premier gap-hitters in the National League. By 1938, he had broadened his game into a more specialized power profile, launching 30 home runs and earning his first of two consecutive All-Star selections. He was a model of offensive versatility, providing the tactical stability needed to anchor the middle of a lineup quietly building toward a…
While the mention of Tom Seaver almost instinctively conjures images of Shea Stadium, the second act of his legendary career was spent providing a masterclass in pitching for the Cincinnati Reds. Arriving in the wake of the infamous "Midnight Massacre" trade of 1977, the man known as "Tom Terrific" brought a level of veteran poise and technical sophistication that instantly solidified the post-dynasty rotation. Seaver’s transition to the National League West was seamless, as he immediately validated the high price Cincinnati paid for his services. In the split season of 1977, he pitched with such surgical precision that he secured…
In the early, dust-caked era of Cincinnati baseball, few players combined speed and power as effectively as James "Bug" Holliday. A small-statured center fielder with a specialized ability to drive the ball deep, he emerged as a premier offensive force just as the franchise made its pivotal leap from the American Association to the National League. While a serious medical emergency would eventually diminish his physical tools, Holliday’s first six seasons in the Queen City established him as one of the most dangerous and efficient run-producers in the nineteenth-century canon. Holliday’s arrival in 1889 was a high-velocity entrance that immediately…
When Jake Beckley arrived in Cincinnati in the middle of the 1897 season, many observers believed the veteran first baseman was a spent force. After a decade of excellence in Pittsburgh, a significant slump and a subsequent release by the New York Giants had left his career in jeopardy. However, the man known as "Eagle Eye" found a second life in Cincy, transforming a potential decline into a masterclass of professional resilience. Beckley’s tenure with the Reds was defined by a remarkable statistical surge that defied the traditional aging curve of the nineteenth century. He established a level of specialized…
Before he became one of the game’s most traveled and successful outfielders, Reggie Sanders was the homegrown cornerstone of the Cincinnati Reds’ return to relevance in the 1990s. Arriving with a rare combination of pure athleticism and technical discipline, the South Carolina native provided Cincinnati with a specialized "five-tool" threat that kept opposing pitchers and catchers in a state of constant defensive anxiety. While he would eventually go on to play for nearly a third of the league, his initial eight-season stay in Cincinnati remains the definitive chapter of his career. Sanders’ tenure in Cincinnati was defined by a high-velocity…
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Before the first pitch of the 1988 season, Chris Sabo was a relatively unknown prospect with a flat-top haircut and a pair of trademark "Rec Specs." By the time the final out was recorded that October, he was the face of a new, hard-nosed era of Cincinnati baseball. Known affectionately as "Spuds" for his resemblance to a popular 80s mascot, Sabo played with a reckless, dirt-stained energy that instantly endeared him to the Riverfront Stadium faithful. He didn't just play third base; he attacked the position, providing the tactical spark and blue-collar grit that would eventually propel the "Nasty Boys"…