(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The main reason why the Cincinnati Reds are so exciting at the moment is their collection of young talented hitters.
They have Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Jake Fraley, Tyler Stephenson, TJ Friedl, Will Benson, and other productive hitters younger than 30 and, in most cases, 25.
And even though their pitching talent is a bit lacking in comparison to that collection of offensive stars, Andrew Abbott has emerged as one of the most exciting rookie pitchers of the season.
He has been magnificent for the Reds, and after another brilliant start on Thursday, his season ERA is down to an incredible 2.10.
.@Reds rookie @andrewabbott33 fires 8 innings of 1-hit ball to lower his ERA to 2.10 on the year. pic.twitter.com/9Gb5Z0WBW9
— MLB (@MLB) July 20, 2023
On Thursday, he hurled eight shutout innings with just one hit and two walks.
He also struck out six against the San Francisco Giants, who stood no chance against the left-hander and his deceptive fastball.
It’s safe to say that Abbott is more than a future ace: he is the Reds’ ace, period.
He has managed to reach consistency levels that fellow talented pitchers Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo have failed to achieve to this point.
Of course, injuries have interfered with their progress: Greene is out with a hip issue and Lodolo is nursing a calf problem.
If both manage to recover full health and slot back into the Reds rotation seamlessly, this team has the potential to make a deep playoff run.
They will likely seek pitching help at the deadline, too.
Who would have thought that the Reds would be buyers one year after selling most of their assets, such as Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle?
Well, Abbott has been a big reason behind their success.
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