Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene (21) runs drills during spring training, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz. Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati Reds Will Continue Unreal and Wacky History on Opening Day 2025

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Mar 21, 2025 10:40 AM ET

When the Cincinnati Reds send right-hander Hunter Greene to the mound on Opening Day against the San Francisco Giants, they'll be continuing one of the wildest stats in current in baseball history.

Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

Greene will continue a stretch of 27 consecutive seasons in which a right-handed pitcher opens the season for Cincinnati. It marks the longest such active streak in MLB.

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The Reds started righty Frankie Montas on Opening Day in 2024, but they traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers and then he signed with the New York Mets this offseason.

The 25-year-old Greene grew up in Los Angeles, playing at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks before being drafted by the Reds in the 2017 draft. He was the No. 2 overall draft pick and made his debut in 2022.

One of the top young arms in baseball, he is 18-25 lifetime with a 3.90 ERA. He's struck out 485 batters in 388.0 innings at the big-league level. He made 26 starts for the Reds in 2024, going 9-5 with a 2.75. He'll lead a rotation that will also feature Nick Martinez and Brady Singer. Andrew Abbott will start the year on the injured list.

Cincinnati is coming off a year in which it finished fourth in the National League Central, missing the playoffs. The Reds haven't been to the playoffs since the COVID 2020 season, but with new manager Terry Francona and young superstar Elly De La Cruz, the group feels very confident heading into 2025.

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

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