The 1878 Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the National League with a record of 37–23, four games behind the Boston Red Caps.

Regular season
After finishing their first two seasons in the National League in last place, the Reds were hoping for some improvement in the 1878 season. Cincinnati signed Cal McVey of the Chicago White Stockings to become the team's new third baseman, and new manager. Catcher Deacon White of the Boston Red Caps signed with Cincinnati. White led the National League with a .387 batting average, 103 hits, eleven triples, 49 RBI, and a .545 slugging percentage with the Red Caps in 1877. White also led the National League with 60 RBI while playing for the White Stockings in 1876. On the mound, 23-year-old Will White was signed by the Reds. White appeared in three games with the Boston Red Caps in 1877, going 2–1 with a 3.00 ERA.

Charley Jones had another very solid season with the Reds, as he had a .310 batting average, along with a team high three home runs and 39 RBI. White saw his production slip, however, he still hit .314 with 29 RBI. Player-manager McVey was solid with a .306 average and two home runs along with 28 RBI.  Rookie King Kelly hit .283 with 27 RBI. White had a spectacular season, going 30–21 with a 1.79 ERA in 468 innings pitched.

Season summary 
The Reds opened the season with a six-game winning streak, and stayed hot in their first twenty games, going 15–5, and were sitting in first place in the National League. Cincinnati then went on a six-game losing streak, falling to 15–11, and out of first place. The Reds never reclaimed first place; however, they finished the season strong, including a nine-game winning streak late in the year, to finish in second place with a 37–23 record, five games behind the first place Boston Red Caps.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log 

|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 1 || May 1 || Milwaukee Grays || 6–4 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 1–0 || W1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 2 || May 2 || Milwaukee Grays || 6–2 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 2–0 || W2
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 3 || May 4 || Milwaukee Grays || 4–1 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 3–0 || W3
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 4 || May 7 || White Stockings || 4–3 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 4–0 || W4
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 5 || May 9 || White Stockings || 9–1 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 5–0 || W5
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 6 || May 11 || White Stockings || 4–1 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 6–0 || W6
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 7 || May 14 || @ Milwaukee Grays || 5–8 || Eclipse Park || N/A || 6–1 || L1
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 8 || May 16 || @ Milwaukee Grays || 8–12 || Eclipse Park || N/A || 6–2 || L2
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 9 || May 18 || @ Milwaukee Grays || 10–2 || Eclipse Park || N/A || 7–2 || W1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 10 || May 21 || @ White Stockings || 13–2 || Lakefront Park || 2,100 || 8–2 || W2
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 11 || May 23 || @ White Stockings || 7–3 || Lakefront Park || 2,500 || 9–2 || W3
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 12 || May 25 || @ White Stockings || 10–8 || Lakefront Park || 3,000 || 10–2 || W4
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 13 || May 28 || Blues || 3–11 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 10–3 || L1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 14 || May 30 || Blues || 4–1 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 11–3 || W1
|- 
 

|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 15 || June 1 || Blues || 5–6 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 11–4 || L1
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 16 || June 4 || @ Blues || 3–9 || South Street Park || N/A || 11–5 || L2
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 17 || June 6 || @ Blues || 11–4 || South Stret Park || N/A || 12–5 || W1
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || June 8 || @ Blues || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: June 26
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || June 11 || @ Providence Grays || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: June 14
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 18 || June 13 || @ Providence Grays || 2–0 || Messer Street Grounds || N/A || 13–5 || W2
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 19 || June 14 || @ Providence Grays || 4–3 || Messer Street Grounds || N/A || 14–5 || W3
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 20 || June 15 || @ Providence Grays || 11–3 || Messer Street Grounds || N/A || 15–5 || W4
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 21 || June 17 || @ Red Caps || 2–4 || South End Grounds || N/A || 15–6 || L1
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 22 || June 20 || @ Red Caps || 0–5 || South End Grounds || N/A || 15–7 || L2
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || June 22 || @ Red Caps || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: July 22
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || June 25 || @ Blues || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: June 28
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 23 || June 26 || @ Blues || 1–5 || South Stret Park || N/A || 15–8 || L3
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 24 || June 27 || @ Blues || 3–7 || South Stret Park || N/A || 15–9 || L4
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 25 || June 28 || @ Blues || 5–9 || South Stret Park || N/A || 15–10 || L5
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 26 || June 29 || @ Blues || 2–10 || South Stret Park || N/A || 15–11 || L6
|- 

|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| 27 || July 2 || Blues || 7–7 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 15-11 || L6
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 28 || July 4 || Blues || 5–3 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 16–11 || W1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 29 || July 5 || Blues || 4–3 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 17–11 || W2
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 30 || July 6 || Blues || 5–6 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 17–12 || L1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 31 || July 9 || Providence Grays || 12–4 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 18–12 || W1
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 32 || July 11 || Providence Grays || 2–13 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 18–13 || L1
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || July 13 || Providence Grays || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: July 15
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 33 || July 15 || Providence Grays || 13–9 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 19–13 || W1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 34 || July 16 || Red Caps || 5–3 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 20–13 || W2
|- style="background:#bfb; 
| 35 || July 18 || Red Caps || 4–1 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 21–13 || W3
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 36 || July 20 || Red Caps || 0–1 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 21–14 || L1
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 37 || July 22 || @ Red Caps || 7–8 || South End Grounds || N/A || 21–15 || L2
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 38 || July 23 || @ Red Caps || 4–11 || South End Grounds || N/A || 21–16 || L3
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 39 || July 25 || @ Red Caps || 9–10 || South End Grounds || N/A || 21–17 || L4
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 40 || July 27 || @ Red Caps || 3–2 || South End Grounds || N/A || 22–17 || W1
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || July 30 || @ Providence Grays || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: July 31
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 41 || July 31 || @ Providence Grays || 3–9 || Messer Street Grounds || N/A || 22–18 || L1
|- 

|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || August 1 || @ Providence Grays || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: August 2
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 42 || August 2 || @ Providence Grays || 3–6 || Messer Street Grounds || N/A || 22–19 || L2
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 43 || August 3 || @ Providence Grays || 4–0 || Messer Street Grounds || N/A || 23–19 || W1
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || August 6 || @ Milwaukee Grays || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: August 12 (site change)
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || August 8 || @ Milwaukee Grays || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: August 14 (site change)
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 44 || August 10 || Milwaukee Grays || 9–0 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 24–19 || W2
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 45 || August 12 || Milwaukee Grays || 6–5 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 25–19 || W3
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 46 || August 13 || Milwaukee Grays || 7–10 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 25–20 || L1
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 47 || August 14 || Milwaukee Grays || 5–6 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 25–21 || L2
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 48 || August 15 || Milwaukee Grays || 13–2 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 26–21 || W1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 49 || August 17 || Milwaukee Grays || 5–2 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 27–21 || W2
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || August 20 || White Stockings || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: August 21
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 50 || August 21 || White Stockings || 4–7 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 27–22 || L1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 51 || August 22 || White Stockings || 5–3 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 28–22 || W1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 52 || August 24 || White Stockings || 7–5 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 29–22 || W2
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 53 || August 27 || Providence Grays || 5–1 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 30–22 || W3
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 54 || August 29 || Providence Grays || 2–0 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 31–22 || W4
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || August 31 || Providence Grays || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: September 2
|- 

|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 55 || September 2 || Providence Grays || 6–2 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 32–22 || W5
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 56 || September 3 || Red Caps || 3–0 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 33–22 || W6
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 57 || September 5 || Red Caps || 5–2 || Avenue Grounds || N/A || 34–22 || W7
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 58 || September 7 || Red Caps || 6–1 || Avenue Grounds' || N/A || 35–22 || W8
|- style="background:#bbb;" 
| – || September 10 || @ White Stockings || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: September 11|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 59 || September 11 || @ White Stockings || 2–0 || Lakefront Park || N/A || 36–22 || W9
|- style="background:#fbb;" 
| 60 || September 12 || @ White Stockings || 2–9 || Lakefront Park || N/A || 36–23 || L1
|- style="background:#bfb;" 
| 61 || September 14 || @ White Stockings || 9–6 || Lakefront Park || N/A || 37–23 || W1
|- 

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by positionNote: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted inOther battersNote: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted inPitching

Starting pitchersNote: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

External links
1878 Cincinnati Reds season at Baseball Reference

Cincinnati Reds (1876–1880) seasons
Cincinnati Reds season
Cincinnati