Andrew Abbott made his first spring training start on Friday when the Cincinnati Reds took on the San Francisco Giants. It was a rough outing for him, as he was dinged with four earned runs out of the Giants' six in the contest. After the game, Abbott shared his explanation about what happened on the mound.
The 26-year-old starting pitcher claimed that he focused on working on his throws, more so than actually trying to secure outs, according to Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19. Abbott liked how his fastball and changeup felt despite the Giants making hard contact with his pitches. But he also stated it's time for him to begin ramping up for the regular season.
“I had way better command with my fastball and changeup,” said Abbott. “I felt two pitches down. They destroyed them. That's what you're going [to] get in the league… Execution is still turning a corner.
“I got more swings and misses today,” continued Abbott. “I was in the zone. My changeup was way better. You can see incremental changes. Now it's about pitching like I'm going into the regular season. It's time to stop working on stuff.”
Andrew Abbott is entering the fourth year of his career. The 2025 campaign was the best of his career so far, as he ended the season with a 2.87 ERA (career-best) and 1.148 WHIP (career-best) while recording 149 strikeouts (career-high) through 166.1 innings pitched. His play earned him the first All-Star nod of his career.
The Reds have not named an Opening Day starter just yet. Whether it's Abbott or somebody else, the organization and fans are hopeful he can maintain consistency in 2026. Cincinnati has a rather exciting roster, as the club aims for its second consecutive playoff appearance.
