Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) throws against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Breakout Cincinnati Reds Ace Andrew Abbott Ascends to Top of MLB Leaderboards

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated May 14, 2025 10:38 AM ET

Even though the game took a turn after his exit, Andrew Abbott came through with another gem for the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old left-handed gave up four hits and one earned run across 6.0 innings versus the Chicago White Sox, racking up seven strikeouts along the way. The Reds were held off the board entirely until the ninth inning, however, and the White Sox stole the win with a four-run 10th.

Abbott still managed to lower his ERA to 2.10 and his WHIP to 1.067, all while he boosted his strikeouts per nine innings to 11.7. That is a massive leap from his 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 2024.

As noted by Underdog Fantasy's Justin Havens, Abbott has the largest year-over-year increase in strikeout rate across MLB from 2024 to 2025 – minimum 30.0 innings pitched this season and 125 innings pitched last season. He has nearly doubled his mark, taking it from 19.5% to 31.7%.

Andrew Abbott has the largest year-over-year increase in strikeout rate in MLB from 2024 (19.5%) to 2025 (31.7%) -- min. 125 IP in 2024/30 IP in 2025.
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Abbott posted a 3.87 ERA as a rookie in 2023, then lowered that to a 3.72 ERA in 2024. His WHIP also went from 1.317 to 1.297. He has further improved upon those numbers in 2025.

At this point, Abbott is pitching like a true co-ace alongside Hunter Greene. Those two and Nick Lodolo have combined for a 4.4 WAR, while reliever Tony Santillan has a 1.1 WAR out of the bullpen. Every other Reds pitcher has a 1.3 WAR between them.

Cincinnati is sitting at 20-23 in the wake of a 2-8 skid, dropping into a tie for third place in the NL Central. The Reds are 13-9 when their top-three starers take the mound, compared to their 7-14 record behind the rest of the rotation.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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