Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) watches batting practice at the Cincinnati Reds player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Terry Francona Believes Reds’ Struggling Top Prospect Is Close to a Breakout

Originally posted on Cincinnati Reds on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 9:26 PM ET

The Cincinnati Reds have one of the best pitching staffs in the league, led by a starting rotation of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, and Chase Burns. Former first rounder Rhett Lowder is expected to be the first man up in case of an injury. Pitchers like Brandon Williamson and Chase Petty could contend for time on the bump, but both youngsters are big question marks right now.

Williamson is coming off Tommy John surgery, which typically doesn't handicap a pitcher long-term, but there's still a chance he's not as sharp as he was before the injury. During spring camp, Williamson has looked very good.

Petty found his way to the big leagues last season, but it was a disaster. The 22-year-old made two starts and three appearances while tossing six innings. In those six innings, he surrendered 14 hits, 13 earned runs, three home runs, eight walks, and a hit batter. In every aspect of the word, it was horrible.

But Petty is still incredibly talented and Reds skipper Terry Francona still believes in the righty.

Terry Francona Still Believes in Chase Petty

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"He was through a lot last year. He says he learned that he can take adversity," Francona said earlier this week. "This will be interesting to see where it goes. Last year after (a great game vs. the Dodgers in spring training), the next day we were like he's 21, throwing 97 and he is a phenom. Then you come to the major leagues for the first time, maybe before you're ready, and it doesn't go according to plan. People start to forget. This kid is young with a really good arm. We won't forget that."

You can learn a lot about a player or a person from the way they handle such crushing failure.

Petty has seemingly handled it the right way, looking to bounce back and improve on his 2025 campaign. He's still only 22 years old and features a fastball that can run up near 100 miles per hour. The talent is seemingly endless for Petty, but he was put in a bad spot last season by being called up to the big leagues before he was ready.

As a result, Petty could be the eighth man in line for a start in Cincinnati this year. It would likely be best for him to spend another season in the minor leagues before he's forced into any big league action.

Still, Francona and the Reds have a lot of belief in Petty.

More MLB: Overlooked Reds Outfielder Emerging After Hot Start to Spring Training

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

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