CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds have announced their Hall of Fame class of 2026.
Former players Brandon Phillips, Aaron Harang and Reggie Sanders were selected alongside former manager Lou Piniella.
Phillips was a second baseman for the Reds from 2006 to 2016, and became one of the most popular players of all time. He won four Gold Gloves throughout his time on the team and earned three NIL All-Star selections.
Harang, who played for Cincinnati from 2003 to 2010, was a starting pitcher with an impressive list of records. In 2006, he led the NL in strikeouts, reaching a total of 216. Harang also led the Reds in strikeouts in the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 seasons.
Sanders was an outfielder for the team from 1991 to 1998 who earned an All-Star selection in 1995.
WATCH: Executive director Rick Walls talks about telling inductees the news
Piniella, or "Sweet Lou," started managing the Reds in 1990. That same season, he led the team to the World Series, where they came out victorious. He went on to manage Cincinnati for two more seasons after that.
The Reds said Phillips and Harang received the most votes of the eight nominees on the "Modern Player Ballot," selected by the Hall of Fame’s Election Governance Committee.
That ballot also included votes from fans, members of the media and Reds alumni.
Sanders and Piniella were selected by the Veterans Committee, which chooses inductees whose playing careers ended more than 15 years ago, along with managers and executives.
WCPO 9's Frank Marzullo caught up with Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Executive Director Rick Walls, who said he got to make the call to tell each member of the class of 2026 the news.
"Telling a player they're going to be in bronze really makes a big difference. You're talking about really preserving the legacy," Walls said.
Walls said when it came to Phillips, it was easy.
He recalled telling Phillips, "You were a fan favorite. The media selected you, your teammates, the alumni selected you ... it's going to be really exciting for you."
"I think he believed and understood that this was important to him, it's important to Reds history," Walls said.
The team said the four will be honored at the Reds Hall of Fame Induction Celebration April 24-26. You can find tickets here.
