The Cincinnati Reds lost, 5-3, to the New York Mets on Wednesday.
It was, by no means, Hunter Greene’s fault, though.
The right-hander had a historic performance from the mound.
“The most strikeouts in a game by a Red since 2000… HUNTER GREENE IS THAT DUDE,” the team tweeted.
The most strikeouts in a game by a Red since 2000…
HUNTER GREENE IS THAT DUDE pic.twitter.com/rO7YfLFYAB
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 20, 2023
In seven innings of work, the flame-throwing right-hander allowed three hits and a run.
He walked one, and struck out a whopping 14 foes.
It’s not just having a triple-digits fastball: it’s also knowing how to use it to get whiffs and soft contact.
It’s also controlling it and placing it where hitters are most vulnerable.
Yes, high velocity correlates well with excellent mound performance, but it’s not everything.
Greene is still not a finished product: he is, after all, just 24 years old.
But the Reds have to be happy about his progress so far, even with the injury that robbed him of important innings.
In 104 innings, Greene has a 4.24 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP, and he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his last four starts.
Walks and homers are still a problem, and until he can fully solve those issues, he won’t be an elite starter.
Still, he is well on his way to reach that tier eventually.
The Reds have a bright future as long as Greene is healthy to lead a young rotation.
They do need a couple of extra quality arms to really have a championship-caliber rotation, but the talent is there for them to compete for a really long time.
NEXT: Reds Reveal Surprising Hunter Renfroe Update
