Reds’ Pitching Dominance Offsetting Offensive Struggles

What matters in April is winning games. The Reds are doing just that, having won four in a row to be at 7-3 through their first 10 games. It's the exact opposite record they had through 10 games last year when they started 3-7.

The Reds are struggling to score runs right now. There's no beating around the bush with that. But they're winning games in spite of that. They weren't doing that last year. Through 10 games, they are winning games even without scoring a lot of runs.

Instead of being worried about the Reds' lack of offense, focus on how good their pitching has been. The Reds' starting pitching and bullpen have been tremendous through 10 games. Two times through the rotation, and three of the current five starting pitchers have a win. Andrew Abbott and Brady Singer, the only two of the five to pitch the full regular season in 2025, both don't have a win yet. Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, and Brandon Williamson all have one win each.

Williamson was masterful Monday night in Miami, nearly pitching seven shutout innings and bouncing back nicely from a tough first outing of the season last week. The Reds are going to need him for, maybe, the first three months of the season. Knowing he can deliver outings like he did against the Marlins Monday night is a positive for the Reds.

Rhett Lowder has been terrific through his first two starts. He's a guy you can rely on to give you quality starts, and innings. That's important to have. Lowder has pitched 11 innings through two starts and has only allowed two runs, which came on a two-run home run in his first start against the Red Sox. Other than that one pitch, he's been brilliant.

Chase Burns looks like the real deal. Not only is he still throwing hard and overpowering hitters, but he's also showing an innate ability to fool hitters with his off-speed pitches, primarily his slider.

The Reds' pitching has been so good, so stellar, and so reliable, you have to remind yourself they're doing this all without Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo. Just imagine when they both come back.

In additon to the starters, the bullpen has been lockdown solid thorugh 10 games. They don't give up many runs, and they have been excellent in stemming the tide against opponents' rallies and accruing a lot of innings. Their depth is showing early on this season.

The concerns are valid about the offense. But they're winning games with their starting pitching and a defense that hasn't made an error through 10 games. That formula can work for the Reds while their offense takes time to get going.