cincinnati reds flamethrower Hunter green Leads the National League in three categories: walks, hit-by-pitch and vomit.
None of these are desirable — especially ones that involve lifting anything other than a baseball — yet the first Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High Star Is a serious contender for the Cy Young Award in his third major league season.
The .185 batting average against Green is the lowest in the NL, and He leads league pitchers with 5.3 wins above replacementHis 2.83 earned run average is third among starters behind Atlanta Chris Sale (2.61) and Philadelphia Jack Wheeler (2.78).
And, yes, he is the leader in baseball in throwing the ball over 100 mph, as well as on the mound.
Greene sets record for most triple-digit fastballs in one season and one game in 2022. He also vomited into his glove during the fifth inning of his start Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, the third time this season he has lost his lunch between pitches.
David BellIn his sixth season as Reds manager after playing 12 major league seasons, he did his best to provide perspective, sounding as if he was jealous of Green.
“I think a lot of us sometimes feel like vomiting during the game and it doesn’t come out, so he probably feels better after that,” Bell said.
Hunter Greene is a serious candidate for the Cy Young Award this season. His 2.83 earned run average ranks third among starters, trailing Atlanta’s Chris Sale (2.61) and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler (2.78).
(Jeff Dean/Associated Press)
Possibly, but the other players didn’t – thankfully. Greene first vomited on June 19 in Pittsburgh, and attributed it to drinking too much water before a game during which he pitched six scoreless innings.
Six days later at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark and again facing the Pirates, Green gave up a walk to Andrew McCutchen to start the first inning, then after throwing strike 1 to Bryan Reynolds, Green doubled over and vomited on the mound.
Reynolds promptly hit a home run, and Green was shut out, giving up six runs in four innings. Too much water wasn’t the problem.
“I can’t say that because this time I did the opposite,” Green said. “I tried not to get the same result as last time. I’m not going to sit here and make a big deal about it because it’s not a big deal. But I’m going to take some pills and stuff like that to get my stomach going and hopefully it will go away.”
It happened one more time, but in eight starts since the second episode, the right-hander has posted a 1.06 ERA. He has pitched six or seven innings in each of his last seven starts.
“He’s a beast,” Reds first baseman Jeimer Candelario said. “Going to the mound with the ball every five days, you expect a ‘W’ from him. He dominates.”
All things considered, Greene, who turns 25 on Aug. 6, is becoming the team’s top player that nearly everyone in baseball predicted he would become. 13th high school athlete to appear on the cover of Sports IllustratedAnd it was described as follows: “The LeBron or the New Babe of Baseball?He’s 17. He mash. He throws 102. Hunter Greene is the star baseball needs (he has to finish high school first).”
Hyperbole? Sure, but he touched 93 mph at age 14 and 100 mph as a Notre Dame junior. And he was also a shortstop with exceptional power.
“While we were trying to get on the bus, our fans were trying to get him to autograph Sports Illustrated magazine,” the Notre Dame coach said. Tom Dill “We had people lined up. I had to stop it. I saw a few opposing coaches in line as well,” he said.
Hunter Greene was a standout pitcher for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High in 2017 and was selected second by the Reds in the MLB Draft that summer.
(Larry Goren/Associated Press)
not surprisingly, Green was drafted by the Reds in 2017 with the second overall selection, and He signed for a $7.23 million bonusHe soon won the hearts of fans due to his maturity and social awareness.
Despite growing up in suburban Stevenson Ranch, Green spent quality time there. MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton. When he reached Triple A, He donated 3,000 pairs of new cleats For local youth and high school players in Los Angeles.
“I’m doing this because I have the platform to give back,” Green said at the time. “It’s important to spread love, to be able to provide kids with the best resources, the best equipment … If I can help with that and make kids feel special, that’s the ultimate goal. And I’m happy and proud to do that.”
Despite a developmental setback due to Tommy John surgery and COVID restrictions in 2019, Greene joined the Reds’ rotation by 2022. Early results were mixed, with him throwing 339 pitches 100 mph or faster — the previous record was 200 — and notching 164 strikeouts in 125.2 innings, yet giving up 24 home runs and posting a 5-13 record and 4.44 ERA.
Reds officials remained steadfast in their support, and Green signed a six-year, $53 million contract the following April that could exceed $90 million with incentives and a club option in 2029. However, his progress stagnated in 2023, when Green pitched to a 4.82 ERA in 112 innings.
What’s the difference this season? His strikeout and walk rates are still high, but he’s generating more ground balls and giving up significantly fewer home runs — a must at hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. He’s also getting more batters to chase pitches out of the strike zone.
The NL Cy Young race is tight, with the Padres Dylan Cease and the Cubs’ shota imanaga Working closely with Sale, Wheeler and Green. Pirates’ new sensation Paul Skenes and current Cy Young winner Blake Snell There probably won’t be enough innings to get enough votes.
Sale, who has never won a Cy Young in his illustrious 14-year career, is considered the favorite at this point. However, Green is 10 years younger and is getting better. He should remain in the Cy Young discussion for years to come.
