CF Dane Myers
The Cincinnati Reds' main center fielder in 2026, Myers was one of five Reds hitters to hit over .250 with at least 100 at-bats. He didn’t show much power as more of a contact hitter, but he was extremely consistent when he was on the field, in a year when the Reds were looking for outfield production amid TJ Friedl and Will Benson’s struggles.
Myers signed a one-year, $800k pre-arbitration contract before the 2026 season after spending the start of his career with the Miami Marlins.
There is no reason that Myers shouldn’t be the starting center fielder for the Reds next year, and if healthy over a full 162-game season, he could build on 2026 and hit in the .270s while also showing off a little more power, all while playing a stellar center field like he usually does.
The beginning of Lowder’s career has not gone to plan after being a first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest. He had a 1.17 ERA in 2024, making just six starts and throwing 30.2 innings.
The promise was there, but Lowder didn't pitch for the big-league club in 2025 because of a forearm and oblique issue. The forearm issue kept him out for the first part of the season, and during rehab, he suffered an oblique strain.
Lowder posted a 5.74 ERA in 26 starts in 2026. He also made three bullpen appearances. Walks really hurt Lowder in 2026, striking out 103 and walking 56. Through the first two months of the season, March and April, Lowder didn’t allow more than five runs in a game, posting a 3.18 ERA in six starts. With Brady Singer likely leaving in free agency and Hunter Greene injured, Lowder is positioned to play a key role in the Reds’ rotation in 2027. His first-round pedigree will still demand high expectations.
3B/DH Eugenio Suarez
I know, I know, but hear me out. Eugenio Suarez was in the crop of players that participated in the World Baseball Classic and then had a very disappointing 2026 season. Cal Raleigh, Paul Skenes, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Roman Anthony were among the others. It feels like many Reds fans have already moved on from Suarez.
He's had seasons where he’s been disappointing offensively, most notably 2023, when he hit 22 home runs and hit .232. He bounced back with 30 home runs in 2024 and then 49 in 2025. There is still some left in the tank, and he’d be a relatively cheap power bat whether they pick up his option or sign him on a cheaper deal.
Suarez could very well explode in his age-35 season and return to a 35- or 40-home-run season, proving 2026 was a fluke.