The Los Angeles Angels took Reid Detmers, who threw a no-hitter this week against the Tampa Bay Rays, in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft.
There was no minor league season that year because of the pandemic, so he couldn’t make his pro debut until 2021.
He made his professional debut in Double-A on May 5, 2021.
What has happened since then can only be described as a meteoric rise to the major leagues.
Detmers aced Double-A, with a 3.50 ERA and lots of strikeouts in 54 frames, and had a stint in Triple-A last year.
Two starts, eight innings, a 1.13 ERA and 11 punchouts were enough for the Angels to call him up to the majors.
An Eventful Year
In MLB, his initial impression wasn’t as positive (7.40 ERA in 20.2 innings), but the team saw enough potential to work with him through the winter and spring and have him in their 2022 plans.
“Kinda crazy to think that Reid Detmers threw his first Minor League pro pitch and his first MLB no-hitter, all within the span of one calendar year,” The Athletic’s Sam Blum tweeted.
Kinda crazy to think that Reid Detmers threw his first Minor League pro pitch and his first MLB no-hitter, all within the span of one calendar year. https://t.co/4nz7Xgw5L7
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) May 12, 2022
He is now boasting a 3.77 ERA in 31 innings in 2022.
On Tuesday, he threw a no-hit, no-run against the Rays, with just one walk and two strikeouts.
He has been able to handle major league hitters without his best strikeout stuff.
When the whiffs return, and judging by the quality of his stuff, they should, he could be truly dominant.
It’s impressive that he needed just one season of development in the minor leagues; less than one season to be accurate.
Most pitchers need at least two or three.
He is a special pitcher, and he seems to be in the right place to find long-term success.
NEXT: Shohei Ohtani Cleared Up Any Injury Concerns Wednesday Night