Barry Larkin Shares Blunt Message on State of Cincinnati Reds

When the Cincinnati Reds won the 1990 World Series, Barry Larkin was the starting shortstop. In 1995, Larkin won the National League MVP as the Reds won the National League Central and reached the NLCS. To date, the Reds have…

By Michael Dixon · Heavy

Published: Monday, 21 September 2026 at 4:01 AM

Key Things to Know

Franchise legend Barry Larkin stated the Cincinnati Reds are far behind the league's top postseason-bound teams.
Larkin's comments followed a 9-1 home loss to the Chicago Cubs that concluded a 22-game stretch against top NL teams.
Former Reds MVP Joey Votto publicly agreed with Larkin's assessment of the franchise's current state.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Cincinnati Reds franchise legend Barry Larkin stated that the team is far behind Major League Baseball's top competitors. Larkin made his comments following a 9-1 home loss to the Chicago Cubs, which concluded a challenging 22-game stretch against postseason-bound National League teams. During that period, the Reds went 9-13 overall and finished with a 3-10 record over their final 13 games.

Larkin emphasized that change must happen for the franchise to improve, a sentiment that was publicly supported by fellow Reds legend Joey Votto. Despite the team's struggles, the roster features promising young talent, including star shortstop Elly De La Cruz and rookie standout Sal Stewart.

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Barry Larkin Shares Blunt Message on State of Cincinnati Reds

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