Nick Lodolo Shares Key to His Hot Start for Cincinnati Reds in 2025

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo has always had electric stuff and for most of his career has been known to be a strikeout pitcher.

However, through his first three starts of 2025, Lodolo has just eight strikeouts through 18 2/3 innings pitched.

"There are some things I feel like I can do a lot better," Lodolo told Jim Day on Wednesday. "There are two different things between control and command. For the most part, I have some command. I still have some big misses that I would like to get honed in."

In Lodolo's first start of the season, he had just one strikeout over six innings of work. In the past, that would mean he most likely got hit hard or walked a lot of batters. He did not walk a batter in that game and allowed just five hits. One of the most important stats of his performance? He produced 11 ground ball outs.

When asked about relying on his sinker and his changeup more this season compared to previously relying on his fastball and curveball more heavily, Lodolo has been pleasantly surprised.

"Yeah, it's good," Lodolo continued. "That's still not the way I envision myself as a pitcher, but it's nice that I feel like I am becoming more a complete pitcher. I can go to different things when I am not getting swings and misses with the slider. I feel like I used to live and die by that. Now, I can pitch and do multiple things to get me through an outing and have success."

The left-hander has walked just one batter all season long. He credits catcher Jose Trevino for a lot of his success so far this season.

"There is a lot of trust. Trevi does a lot of homework, which is really nice. It's not that I have to do less work, but I am not thinking as much when I am out there. He sees a lot. He is really smart back there. I don't want to say I am not pitching like myself because what I am doing is maybe a better version of myself because it's more complete and I have more things to go to."

"Things that he has seen that have worked for me that I normally wouldn't do is encouraging for me. Even when Steve-o gets back, I have to talk to him because there are some things that I can do now that wasn't in the gameplan before."

Lodolo has a 0.96 ERA through three starts, which is fifth in Major League Baseball. Although the strikeouts aren't there, he is finding ways to get outs, which shows how much he has grown and matured as a pitcher.

If Lodolo can stay healthy, having himself and Hunter Greene at the top of the rotation may give opposing teams fits all season long.