Cincinnati Reds
Ohio franchise and birthplace of professional baseball whose Big Red Machine in the 1970s — Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Pérez — was the most dominant team of the decade.
Pantheon Standing
| List Name | Rank | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Greatest MLB Franchises of All Time | #1 | 96.0 |
The Age Divide
Voters under 30 and over 35 rank Cincinnati Reds significantly differently across lists.
The Athletic Record
The Case For Cincinnati Reds
“The longevity argument alone puts them in a category of one. While others burned bright and faded, this figure consistently reinvented and dominated across decades, eras, and cultural shifts that would have destroyed lesser talents.”
“Technically unmatched. The craft here is evident in every performance, every work — the kind of effortless execution that only comes from thousands of hours of mastery made invisible. They make the impossible look inevitable.”
“Commercial success should never be held against artistic legacy. The ability to dominate charts while maintaining critical respect is a skill unto itself — one that this figure has mastered better than any peer in the conversation.”
Rank History
Ranking history will be available once voting opens for Cincinnati Reds.
Often Compared To
Cleveland Guardians
#2MLB / AL Central — Cleveland, Ohio · 1901–present
Ohio franchise formerly known as the Indians whose 1948 championship is the most recent in franchise history — and whose 1995 team started a run that included five division titles in six years.
Detroit Tigers
#3MLB / AL Central — Detroit, Michigan · 1901–present
Michigan franchise whose Tiger Stadium and four World Series titles represent the blue-collar soul of American baseball — Ty Cobb, Al Kaline, and Miguel Cabrera are the pillars of franchise history.