Chase Petty: The Reds’ Mistreated Prospect

Chase Petty’s Pro Baseball Odyssey

Minor League Numbers

In 2022, his first full professional season, Petty combined for 25 games pitched (20 games started) between Single-A and High-A, where he posted a 3.48 ERA in 98 1/3 innings.

In the following year, he continued to climb the minor league ladder, as in 2023, he made 18 appearances (all starts) in High-A and Double-A, where he dominated with a 1.72 ERA in 68 innings. His strikeout numbers were decent yet not eye-popping (8.7 K/9), which was plenty good enough for the 20-year-old.

In 2024, he made yet another leap, splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A, where he made 28 starts with a 4.20 ERA in 137 innings. This was the first time he struggled in the minors, as he saw his walk rate skyrocket up to 3.9 BB/9.

At just 21 years old, it was clear that the potential was there, but he simply had to get his command under control for his stuff to be effective. The addition of a cutter masked the ineffectiveness of his four-seam fastball a bit, something he looked to improve in 2025.

Called Up to the Majors

Based on Petty’s minor league track record, a couple of things stand out. First, his ability to climb the levels consistently, going up a level year after year, and adjusting fairly quickly. His young age relative to the competition made his performance even more impressive. Second, his consistency has stood out. His performance has been linear, never veering too far north or south. His struggles are in a controllable manner, and his successes are a result of his abilities, rather than luck.

This brings us to the 2025 season, where the 22-year-old Chase Petty has finally made his major league debut. He is currently ranked as the number six overall prospect in Cincinnati’s organization, yet has been treated more like a veteran arm, and not in a complimentary fashion.

MLB Debut

Petty made his MLB debut on April 30th against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was smoked for nine earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings.

Petty’s final line from MLB debut:

2 1/3 IP

7 H

9 ER

2 HR

2 BB

3 K

It was an ugly start to his big league career, and the Reds subsequently sent him back down to Triple-A.

Petty’s Second MLB Start

He appeared once again for his second MLB start on May 11th, looking for a bounceback, this time against the Houston Astros. While his second time around was certainly better than the first, he still struggled and was pulled after just three innings of work.

Petty’s final line from his second MLB start:

3 IP

6 H

4 ER

1 HR

6 BB

4 K

The six walks were certainly not ideal, as this start brought him his second career loss in as many outings, which resulted in another trip down to Triple-A.

Petty’s Third MLB Appearance

In his third and most recent outing, he appeared on the bump, this time in relief, where he was called upon in the 11th inning of a tie game in Busch Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 21st.

It was a peculiar situation to call on the team’s number six overall prospect, who has struggled in limited action to begin his career, as the winning run was 180 feet away via the automatic baserunner on second base.

Needless to say, the outing didn’t go as planned, as after generating two pop-ups, he surrendered a walk-off single to end the game.

Petty’s final line from his third MLB appearance:

0.2 IP

1 H

1 R (0 ER)

0 BB

0 K

Cincinnati’s Odd Treatment of Chase Petty

From what we’ve seen so far, Petty’s confidence has most likely taken a big hit after his first three outings. The talented right-hander is still just 22 years old, and holds his prospect pedigree still, which makes the treatment of him all the more confusing.

Why would an organization send him up and down the big leagues and Triple-A for one-game appearances, while putting him in impossible situations?

Petty’s leash was long in his first game, which resulted in a nine-earned-run outing. His second outing was the most normal, where he went three innings in a start that saw him throw 90 pitches. His third appearance is where it starts to not make sense. Putting him into a tie game in the 11th inning where the winning run is at second base against the team who put up a nine-spot against him the first time he saw them is certainly a head scratcher.

A young player in his shoes simply needs to see himself work through a simple inning in the big leagues in order to regain confidence in himself, and instead, the organization puts him in the most high-leverage opportunity possible, only to promptly send him back down to Triple-A again.

It will be an uphill battle from here on out, as Petty is currently sporting a 19.50 ERA as a big leaguer. His young age and potential are obviously still promising, but it will be up to the organization to not destroy the kid’s confidence and put him in some advantageous situations to build his confidence back up.