Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect Hunter Greene had fans and team executives on the edge of their seats as he began his first Triple-A start for the Louisville Bats by imposing his will on opposing batter.
No. 2 Reds prospect Hunter Greene whiffed eight and topped out at ??? ??? in his Triple-A debut last night for the @LouisvilleBats. ? https://t.co/i8ETYtDIOU (? @OMAStormChasers)#RedsMiLB pic.twitter.com/gevA4hx2SD
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 18, 2021
Green registered a 104 mile per hour fastball on the radar gun during his debut against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, which broke the internet.
BREAKING NEWS: Hunter Greene just hit 104 MPH.
He’s a starting pitcher…
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) June 18, 2021
We warned you earlier in the season, that this melanated mound marauder was next up.
Now he’s breathing down the back of MLB competition and chomping at the bit to start flaming batters.
The Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect gave up four home runs and a walk for the Bats, but he also gave hitters the gas face with eight strikeouts in a 6-5 defeat at Omaha.
The 2017 second-overall pick threw 46 of his 73 pitches for strikes to finish his rollercoaster ride of a day by striking out the side in order in the fourth inning.
Don’t buy too much stock in the home run narrative, as in all actuality, we know that hitters eschew at the plate when facing such exorbitant pitches. Instead, hitters will stick their bats out over the plate to stop the mortification with hopes of making contact.
Guys with mega-high velocity are generally relievers, not starting pitchers.
Since 2008 only five pitchers sniffed the 104-mph mark in Major League history, including closer Aroldis Chapman, who did it 67 times in his illustrious career, and fellow MLB bro Jordan Hicks, who did it 12 times.
Top prospect Hunter Greene has been promoted to the Bats!
He is scheduled to make his Triple-A debut Thursday in Omaha ? pic.twitter.com/2hKKob95J9
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) June 15, 2021
Greene dominated on the mound during his time with Double-A Chattanooga. He fanned 60 hitters in 41 innings while allowing only 27 batters to hit safely, leading to a 5-0 record and a 1.98 earned run average.
Those accumulated stats were Greene’s first game action since 2018 after he missed all of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery and 2020 due to the pandemic.
READ MORE: Hunter Greene Is Double the Dopeness
Before receiving the call to the Reds Triple-A affiliate, Greene, in his final outing, struck out nine in six shutout innings for the Chattanooga Lookouts.
Reds manager David Bell addressed the following about the possibility of Greene making the jump to the show.
Bell told Cincinnatti.com, ” I don’t think that’s unreasonable for any guys in Triple-A.” He added, ” He is getting close.”
Greene is more than close to making his jump to the pro level. The race is on between him and Vanderbilt sensation Kumar Rocker as to who will become the next great Black pitcher.
The results of his debut may not have been overwhelming, but Greene still impressed the masses with his velocity during his final three innings before getting pulled. With performances such as this under his belt, Greene, sooner rather than later, may force the Reds hand to make the call.
Recent Comments