The 1886 Cincinnati Red Stockings season was a season in American baseball. The Red Stockings finished in fifth place in the American Association, 27.5 games behind the St. Louis Browns.

Regular season Pop Corkhill had a breakout season, hitting .265 with five home runs and a team high 97 RBI, while Bid McPhee hit .268 with a team highs in home runs with eight, stolen bases with 40, and runs with 139. Fred Lewis had a team high .318 batting average.

On the mound, Mullane was the ace of the staff, as he had a 33–27 record with a 3.70 ERA in 56 starts, as he struck out 250 batters in 529.2 innings pitched.

Season summary The Red Stockings were coming off a second-place finish in the 1885 season, which was their highest placing since winning the 1882 American Association pennant. Cincinnati was relatively quiet during the off-season; however, Tony Mullane, who had been suspended for the 1885 season for defying his contract, returned and made his Cincinnati debut in 1886.

The Red Stockings started the season off slowly, winning only four of their first twelve games to sit in seventh place. Cincinnati would continue to play mediocre baseball, and would be in eighth place with a 24–35 record, 12.5 games out of first place. The Red Stockings then went on a seven-game winning streak to climb into sixth place to bring their record to 31–35, however, they remained 12.5 games out of first. The team eventually broke over the .500 level, reaching a season best three games over .500 with a 50–47 record. However, Cincinnati faded down the stretch, and finished with a losing record for the first time in team history, as they were 65–73, which was good for fifth place 27.5 games behind the St. Louis Browns.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Legend Red Stockings Win Red Stockings Loss Game Tied/Postponed

|- style="background:#fbb;" | 1 || April 17 || Colonels || 1–5 || American Park || 6,000 || 0–1 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 2 || April 18 || @ Colonels || 3–4 || Eclipse Park || 10,000 || 0–2 || L2 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || April 19 || @ Colonels || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: May 2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 3 || April 20 || @ Colonels || 9–2 || Eclipse Park || N/A || 1–2 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 4 || April 21 || Alleghenys || 7–13 || American Park || N/A || 1–3 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 5 || April 22 || Alleghenys || 9–8 || American Park || N/A || 2–3 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 6 || April 23 || Alleghenys || 13–7 || American Park || N/A || 3–3 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 7 || April 24 || Alleghenys || 14–10 || American Park || N/A || 4–3 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 8 || April 26 || @ Browns || 12–14 || Sportsman's Park || N/A || 4–4 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 9 || April 27 || @ Browns || 3–20 || Sportsman's Park || N/A || 4–5 || L2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 10 || April 28 || @ Browns || 3–7 || Sportsman's Park || N/A || 4–6 || L3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 11 || April 29 || @ Browns || 4–9 || Sportsman's Park || N/A || 4–7 || L4 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 12 || April 30 || Colonels || 1–7 || American Park || N/A || 4–8 || L5

|- style="background:#bfb;" | 13 || May 1 || Colonels || 8–1 || American Park || N/A || 5–8 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 14 || May 2 || @ Colonels || 10–5 || Eclipse Park || N/A || 6–8 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 15 || May 4 || Colonels || 5–2 || American Park || N/A || 7–8 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 16 || May 5 || Colonels || 5–6 || American Park || N/A || 7–9 || L1 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 7 || @ Alleghenys || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: May 12 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 17 || May 8 || @ Alleghenys || 6–9 || Recreation Park || N/A || 7–10 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 18 || May 10 || @ Alleghenys || 4–2 || Recreation Park || N/A || 8–10 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 19 || May 11 || @ Alleghenys || 7–9 || Recreation Park || N/A || 8–11 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 20 || May 12 || @ Alleghenys || 7–9 || Recreation Park || N/A || 8–12 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 21 || May 13 || Browns || 7–3 || American Park || N/A || 9–12 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 22 || May 14 || Browns || 1–2 || American Park || N/A || 9–13 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 23 || May 15 || Browns || 8–2 || American Park || N/A || 10–13 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 24 || May 16 || Browns || 7–6 || American Park || N/A || 11–13 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 25 || May 18 || @ Orioles || 4–6 || Oriole Park || N/A || 11–14 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 26 || May 19 || @ Orioles || 6–11 || Oriole Park || N/A || 11–15 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 27 || May 20 || @ Orioles || 8–7 || Oriole Park || N/A || 12–15 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 28 || May 21 || @ Orioles || 6–5 || Oriole Park || N/A || 13–15 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 29 || May 22 || @ Athletics || 7–8 || Jefferson Street Grounds || N/A || 13–16 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 30 || May 24 || @ Athletics || 4–10 || Jefferson Street Grounds || N/A || 13–17 || L2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 31 || May 25 || @ Athletics || 10–18 || Jefferson Street Grounds || N/A || 13–18 || L3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 32 || May 26 || @ Athletics || 6–9 || Jefferson Street Grounds || N/A || 13–19 || L4 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 33 || May 27 || @ Grays || 6–4 || Washington Park || N/A || 14–19 || W1 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || May 28 || @ Grays || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: May 31 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 34 || May 29 || @ Metropolitans || 6–11 || St. George Cricket Grounds || N/A || 14–20 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 35 || May 31 || @ Grays || 6–8 || Washington Park || N/A || 14–21 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 36 || May 31 || @ Metropolitans || 12–5 || St. George Cricket Grounds || N/A || 15–21 || W1

|- style="background:#bfb;" | 37 || June 1 || @ Metropolitans || 12–7 || St. George Cricket Grounds || N/A || 16–21 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 38 || June 2 || @ Grays || 6–2 || Washington Park || N/A || 17–21 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 39 || June 3 || @ Metropolitans || 11–12 || St. George Cricket Grounds || N/A || 17–22 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 40 || June 4 || @ Grays || 4–7 || Washington Park || N/A || 17–23 || L2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 41 || June 5 || @ Alleghenys || 1–3 || Recreation Park || N/A || 17–24 || L3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 42 || June 7 || @ Alleghenys || 0–3 || Recreation Park || N/A || 17–25 || L4 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 43 || June 8 || @ Alleghenys || 10–9 || Recreation Park || N/A || 18–25 || W1 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || June 9 || Alleghenys || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: June 11 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 44 || June 10 || Alleghenys || 1–5 || American Park || N/A || 18–26 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 45 || June 11 || Alleghenys || 5–3 || American Park || N/A || 19–26 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 46 || June 12 || Alleghenys || 5–6 || American Park || N/A || 19–27 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 47 || June 13 || @ Colonels || 2–4 || Eclipse Park || N/A || 19–28 || L2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 48 || June 14 || @ Colonels || 1–4 || Eclipse Park || N/A || 19–29 || L3 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || June 15 || Colonels || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: August 18 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 49 || June 16 || Colonels || 5–4 || American Park || N/A || 20–29 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 50 || June 17 || Colonels || 4–3 || American Park || N/A || 21–29 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 51 || June 18 || @ Browns || 0–11 || Sportsman's Park || N/A || 21–30 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 52 || June 19 || @ Browns || 7–12 || Sportsman's Park || N/A || 21–31 || L2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 53 || June 20 || @ Browns || 0–8 || Sportsman's Park || N/A || 21–32 || L3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 54 || June 21 || Browns || 5–6 || American Park || N/A || 21–33 || L4 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || June 22 || @ Colonels || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: June 24 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 55 || June 23 || @ Colonels || 9–4 || Eclipse Park || N/A || 22–33 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 56 || June 24 || @ Colonels || 12–5 || Eclipse Park || N/A || 23–33 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 57 || June 25 || Browns || 2–1 || American Park || N/A || 24–33 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 58 || June 26 || Browns || 0–1 || American Park || N/A || 24–34 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 59 || June 27 || @ Browns || 1–9 || Sportsman's Park || 8,000 || 24–35 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 60 || June 28 || Orioles || 12–4 || American Park || N/A || 25–35 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 61 || June 29 || Orioles || 12–1 || American Park || N/A || 26–35 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 62 || June 30 || Orioles || 18–7 || American Park || N/A || 27–35 || W3

|- style="background:#bfb;" | 63 || July 1 || Orioles || 7–5 || American Park || N/A || 28–35 || W4 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || July 2 || Athletics || colspan=8| Postponed (rain); Makeup: July 4 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 64 || July 3 || Athletics || 8–2 || American Park || N/A || 29–35 || W5 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 65 || July 4 || Athletics || 8–0 || American Park || N/A || 30–35 || W6 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 66 || July 5 || Athletics || 14–7 || American Park || N/A || 31–35 || W7 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 67 || July 5 || Athletics || 1–5 || American Park || N/A || 31–36 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 68 || July 7 || Metropolitans || 6–4 || American Park || N/A || 32–36 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 69 || July 8 || Metropolitans || 5–8 || American Park || N/A || 32–37 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 70 || July 9 || Metropolitans || 7–2 || American Park || N/A || 33–37 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 71 || July 10 || Metropolitans || 3–0 || American Park || N/A || 34–37 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 72 || July 11 || Grays || 7–11 || American Park || 7,000 || 34–38 || L1 |- style="background:#bbb;" | - || July 12 || Grays || colspan=8| Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: July 11 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 73 || July 13 || Grays || 9–4 || American Park || N/A || 35–38 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 74 || July 14 || Grays || 5–1 || American Park || N/A || 36–38 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 75 || July 15 || Grays || 7–4 || American Park || N/A || 37–38 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 76 || July 17 || @ Athletics || 10–15 || Jefferson Street Grounds || N/A || 37–39 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 77 || July 19 || @ Athletics || 14–8 || Jefferson Street Grounds || N/A || 38–39 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 78 || July 20 || @ Athletics || 9–13 || Jefferson Street Grounds || N/A || 38–40 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 79 || July 22 || @ Orioles || 11–10 || Oriole Park || N/A || 39–40 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 80 || July 23 || @ Orioles || 8–10 || Oriole Park || N/A || 39–41 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 81 || July 24 || @ Orioles || 10–4 || Oriole Park || N/A || 40–41 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 82 || July 26 || @ Metropolitans || 4–1 || St. George Cricket Grounds || N/A || 41–41 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 83 || July 27 || @ Grays || 2–10 || Washington Park || N/A || 41–42 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 84 || July 28 || @ Metropolitans || 4–1 || St. George Cricket Grounds || N/A || 42–42 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 85 || July 29 || @ Grays || 4–6 || Washington Park || N/A || 42–43 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 86 || July 30 || @ Metropolitans || 8–1 || St. George Cricket Grounds || N/A || 43–43 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 87 || July 31 || @ Grays || 0–4 || Washington Park || N/A || 43–44 || L1

|- style="background:#bfb;"