Cincinnati Reds Can Count on Carson Spiers to More Than Hold His Own to Start the Season

Carson Spiers will begin the season as the Cincinnati Reds fifth starting pitcher. While I hope it’s not for a long time, Spiers is a more than serviceable player.

Spiers should only need to start two games. Here’s what we can expect from him:

If you look past his ERA you will see where he provides value to the Reds. He held a 6.6% walk rate and had an xFIP, a stat that is a good predictor of future ERA, that almost a run lower than his ERA. The league average walk rate last year was 8.4%.

Spiers also got unlucky with batted balls. His batting average on balls in play against him was .331. A league average pitcher faced a BABIP of .291. Spiers would have seen his numbers improve with more reps.

He has a five pitch mix that includes three types of fastballs: four-seamer, sinker, and cutter. He has a sweeper and a changeup. That gives him plenty of pitches to strategize with.

Spiers will never be a guy who is knocking down the doors for a Cy Young award, but he is more than serviceable as a depth piece for the Reds starting rotation.

Reds Opening Day is just five days away. they play the Giants on Thursday, March 27 at 4:10 p.m. ET.