Cincinnati Reds' starting pitcher Hunter Greene took the mound for the first time this spring on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels, and he debuted two new pitches: A curveball and a split-fingered fastball.
He felt especially good about the development of the split, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com:
“The split was fantastic today," said Greene, who was 4-7 with a 4.82 ERA and 1.42 WHIP last season. "It was unbelievable. So it’s just continuing to work on it and get it ready for Opening Day and the rest of the season.”
Greene appears likely to abandon his changeup, which he used sparingly last season, in favor of the split-finger. He's looking for a pitch that can induce early-count contact.
The 24-year-old Greene is one of the centerpieces of the young Reds roster. He made his major league debut in 2022 and is 9-20 lifetime with a 4.62 ERA, but he features a triple-digit fastball and now apparently has new secondary offerings.
While the Reds get a lot of attention for their glut of exciting young infield prospects, they also have a rotation that has a lot of upside. Greene figures to pair with fellow former top prospect Nick Lodolo, bounceback candidate Frankie Montas and Graham Ashcraft. The fifth spot currently has several people battling for it.
The Reds went 82-80 last season and missed the playoffs in the final week of the season. If Greene can continue to evolve in 2024, it will go a long way towards getting the Reds to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
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