The 1898 Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished in third place in the National League with a record of 92–60, 11.5 games behind the Boston Beaneaters.

Regular season The Cincinnati Reds came into the 1898 season with high hopes, and hoping not to have a late season collapse, which had happened the previous three seasons.

The club retained manager Buck Ewing for a fourth season, and made a few player changes in the off-season. Cincinnati was involved in a seven player trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the Reds sent Bill Gray, Jack McCarthy, Billy Rhines, Pop Schriver and Ace Stewart to the Pirates for Pink Hawley, Mike Smith and $1,500. Hawley had a record of 18–18 with Pittsburgh in 1897, posting an ERA of 4.80. His best season was in 1895 with the Pirates, as he was 31–22 with a 3.18 ERA in a National League high 56 games pitched. Smith batted .310 with six home runs and 54 RBI with the Pirates in 1897. He also previously played for the Reds when they were members of the American Association, as he saw limited playing time in Cincinnati from 1886 to 1889. The Reds also acquired Algie McBride, who spent the 1897 season with the St. Paul Saints of the Western League, hitting .381 there. McBride had previous major league experience, appearing in nine games with the Chicago Colts in 1896.

Jake Beckley led the offense, as he hit a solid .294 with a team high four home runs, while earning 72 RBI. Tommy Corcoran led the club with 87 RBI, while Mike Smith hit a team best .342, as well as hitting one home run and driving in 66 runners.

On the mound, Hawley was very solid, going 27–11 with a 3.37 ERA in 43 games pitched. Ted Breitenstein cracked the 20 win plateau, as he was 20–14 with a 3.42 ERA. Frank Dwyer and Bill Dammann each went 16–10.

Season summary The Reds got off to a great start, as they posted a record of 18–4 in their first twenty-two games, three games ahead of the second place Cleveland Spiders. Cincinnati remained hot, as their record improved to 27–7, and took a four-game lead over the Spiders, however, a 7–12 slump in their next nineteen games saw their lead dwindle down to one game over the second place Boston Beaneaters.

The Reds held on to first place, as they got hot once again, and took a five-game lead over the Beaneaters with a 65–32 record during the first week of August. The team then fell into a 2–8 slump over their next ten games and found themselves in second place, 3.5 games behind Boston. Cincinnati regained first place, and hung on to it going into the start of September, with a 78–44 record, but a 2–9 mark during their next eleven games saw the Reds fall out of first place for good, as they fell into third, 6.5 games behind the Beaneaters. Cincinnati finished out the season in third place with a 92–60 record, 11.5 games behind Boston.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log Legend Reds Win Reds Loss Game Tied/Postponed

|- style="background:#bfb;" | 1 || April 15 || Spiders || 3–2 || League Park || 11,000 || 1-0 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 2 || April 16 || Spiders || 1–3 || League Park || 5,641 || 1-1 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 3 || April 17 || Spiders || 12–1 || League Park || 15,504 || 2-1 || W1 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || April 20 || Pirates || colspan=8| Postponed (cold); Makeup: April 21 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 4 || April 21 || Pirates || 11–6 || League Park || 3,000 || 3-1 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 5 || April 22 || Pirates || 11–0 || League Park || 2,467 || 4-1 || W3 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || April 23 || Pirates || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: August 28 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || April 24 || Orphans || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: July 10 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 6 || April 25 || Orphans || 4–7 || League Park || 500 || 4-2 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 7 || April 26 || Orphans || 3–2 || League Park || 2,396 || 5-2 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 8 || April 27 || Orphans || 5–3 || League Park || 2,400 || 6-2 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 9 || April 28 || Spiders || 5–3 || League Park || 1,900 || 7-2 || W3 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 10 || April 29 || @ Pirates || 5–2 || Exposition Park || 4,200 || 8-2 || W4 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 11 || April 30 || @ Pirates || 11–2 || Exposition Park || 4,500 || 9-2 || W5

|- style="background:#fbb;" | 12 || May 1 || Pirates || 5–11 || League Park || 14,000 || 9-3 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 13 || May 2 || @ Pirates || 7–3 || Exposition Park || 800 || 10-3 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 14 || May 3 || @ Pirates || 5–2 || Exposition Park || 2,000 || 11-3 || W2 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 4 || Browns || colspan=8| Postponed (rain, site change); Makeup: June 28 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 5 || Browns || colspan=8| Postponed (rain, site change); Makeup: June 28 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 6 || Browns || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: July 3 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 7 || Browns || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: October 1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 15 || May 8 || Colonels || 7–1 || League Park || 10,000 || 12-3 || W3 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 9 || @ Browns || colspan=8| Postponed (site change); Makeup: May 9 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 16 || May 9 || Browns || 5–6 || League Park || 1,900 || 12-4 || L1 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 10 || @ Browns || colspan=8| Postponed (rain, site change); Makeup: May 12 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 11 || @ Browns || colspan=8| Postponed (site change); Makeup: May 11 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 17 || May 11 || Browns || 2–1 || League Park || 4,000 || 13-4 || W1 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 12 || @ Browns || colspan=8| Postponed (site change); Makeup: May 12 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 18 || May 12 || Browns || 8–5 || League Park || N/A || 14-4 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 19 || May 12 || Browns || 3–2 || League Park || 3,200 || 15-4 || W3 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 20 || May 14 || Colonels || 7–1 || League Park || 2,500 || 16-4 || W4 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 21 || May 15 || Colonels || 4–3 || League Park || 6,800 || 17-4 || W5 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 22 || May 19 || Beaneaters || 5–4 || League Park || 4,804 || 18-4 || W6 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 23 || May 20 || Beaneaters || 4–5 || League Park || 3,100 || 18-5 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 24 || May 21 || Beaneaters || 3–4 || League Park || 4,600 || 18-6 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 25 || May 22 || Pirates || 2–0 || League Park || 6,500 || 19-6 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 26 || May 23 || Bridegrooms || 7–2 || League Park || 1,900 || 20-6 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 27 || May 24 || Bridegrooms || 3–6 || League Park || 1,925 || 20-7 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 28 || May 25 || Bridegrooms || 5–4 || League Park || 1,750 || 21-7 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 29 || May 26 || Giants || 12–6 || League Park || 2,450 || 22-7 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 30 || May 27 || Giants || 13–4 || League Park || 3,340 || 23-7 || W3 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 31 || May 28 || Giants || 11–7 || League Park || 3,500 || 24-7 || W4 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 32 || May 30 || @ Bridegrooms || 6–4 || Washington Park || 3,900 || 25-7 || W5 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 33 || May 30 || @ Bridegrooms || 3–2 || Washington Park || 5,000 || 26-7 || W6 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 34 || May 31 || @ Bridegrooms || 7–2 || Washington Park || 1,500 || 27-7 || W7

|- style="background:#fbb;" | 35 || June 1 || @ Bridegrooms || 3–4 || Washington Park || 1,500 || 27-8 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 36 || June 2 || @ Giants || 0–3 || Polo Grounds || 4,000 || 27-9 || L2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 37 || June 3 || @ Giants || 10–16 || Polo Grounds || 3,000 || 27-10 || L3 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 38 || June 4 || @ Giants || 5–3 || Polo Grounds || 10,000 || 28-10 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 39 || June 6 || @ Giants || 10–1 || Polo Grounds || 3,000 || 29-10 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 40 || June 7 || @ Beaneaters || 2–9 || South End Grounds || 3,500 || 29-11 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 41 || June 8 || @ Beaneaters || 1–10 || South End Grounds || 3,500 || 29-12 || L2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 42 || June 9 || @ Beaneaters || 5–6 || South End Grounds || 2,800 || 29-13 || L3 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 43 || June 10 || @ Beaneaters || 4–3 || South End Grounds || 3,500 || 30-13 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 44 || June 12 || @ Colonels || 4–5 || Eclipse Park || 4,000 || 30-14 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 45 || June 13 || @ Colonels || 6–4 || Eclipse Park || 400 || 31-14 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 46 || June 14 || @ Colonels || 7–3 || Eclipse Park || 1,000 || 32-14 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 47 || June 15 || @ Colonels || 5–1 || Eclipse Park || 300 || 33-14 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 48 || June 16 || @ Orphans || 1–9 || West Side Park || 3,900 || 33-15 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 49 || June 17 || @ Orphans || 2–1 || West Side Park || 5,300 || 34-15 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 50 || June 18 || @ Orphans || 4–10 || West Side Park || 9,700 || 34-16 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 51 || June 19 || @ Orphans || 1–10 || West Side Park || 22,400 || 34-17 || L2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 52 || June 20 || Orioles || 2–17 || League Park || 3,060 || 34-18 || L3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 53 || June 21 || Orioles || 2–4 || League Park || 2,200 || 34-19 || L4 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 54 || June 22 || Orioles || 3–2 || League Park || 2,200 || 35-19 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 55 || June 23 || Orioles || 13–4 || League Park || 2,350 || 36-19 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 56 || June 24 || Senators || 8–10 || League Park || 1,600 || 36-20 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 57 || June 25 || Senators || 8–5 || League Park || 3,100 || 37-20 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 58 || June 26 || Senators || 4–13 || League Park || 5,634 || 37-21 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 59 || June 27 || Senators || 2–9 || League Park || 600 || 37-22 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 60 || June 28 || @ Browns || 3–2 || New Sportsman's Park || N/A || 38-22 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 61 || June 28 || @ Browns || 5–0 || New Sportsman's Park || 2,500 || 39-22 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 62 || June 29 || Phillies || 9–8 || League Park || 2,800 || 40-22 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 63 || June 30 || Phillies || 3–17 || League Park || 1,800 || 40-23 || L1

|- style="background:#bfb;" | 64 || July 1 || Phillies || 14–2 || League Park || 2,200 || 41-23 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 65 || July 2 || Phillies || 8–4 || League Park || 2,600 || 42-23 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 66 || July 3 || Browns || 7–5 || League Park || N/A || 43-23 || W3 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 67 || July 3 || Browns || 10–7 || League Park || 8,204 || 44-23 || W4 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 68 || July 4 || Colonels || 9–4 || League Park || 5,200 || 45-23 || W5 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 69 || July 4 || Colonels || 11–0 || League Park || 5,612 || 46-23 || W6 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 70 || July 7 || @ Orphans || 7–5 || West Side Park || 2,900 || 47-23 || W7 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 71 || July 8 || @ Orphans || 11–8 || West Side Park || 2,400 || 48-23 || W8 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 72 || July 9 || @ Orphans || 3–5 || West Side Park || 6,800 || 48-24 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 73 || July 10 || Orphans || 11–7 || League Park || 7,852 || 49-24 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 74 || July 11 || @ Orioles || 4–6 || Union Park || 2,814 || 49-25 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 75 || July 12 || @ Orioles || 10–5 || Union Park || 2,327 || 50-25 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;"