Cincinnati Reds top prospect Hunter Greene is moving one step closer to the big leagues.
Greene, a 21-year-old right-hander, will make his next start for Triple-A Louisville after his dominant start to the minor league season, a source told The Enquirer. Louisville will play a road series in Omaha next week before returning for a homestand on June 22.
In seven starts at Double-A Chattanooga, Greene posted a 5-0 record and 1.98 ERA through seven starts. He struck out 60 batters in 41 innings while walking 14.
"Wanted to thank everyone in Chattanooga for a great experience and taking care of me," Greene wrote on Twitter on Sunday morning. "Great food, great people and a great city."
Greene is regularly sitting above 100 mph with his fastball, reaching 102 mph several times in his last start, but it's the improvement of his slider and changeup that have helped him overpower hitters.
The Reds were impressed with the way Greene handled Double-A – it was his first time pitching in games since July 2018 – and determined that he was ready for a midseason promotion and a better challenge at Louisville.
'Still learning a lot': Hunter Greene threw 105 mph, but he wants to be known for more than velocity
Greene, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, will continue to develop as a starting pitcher at Triple-A. He's an option to join the Reds this summer as a starter or reliever if he continues to dominate at his new level.
It will be difficult for players at Double-A to move straight to the Majors because of COVID protocols. Triple-A players have similar testing requirements as MLB teams. Double-A players would be required to enter intake testing and a quarantine period.
"The way Hunter has grown as a person is just remarkable," Reds farm director Shawn Pender said last week. "When I say that, he’s always been a great person, but I just mean the maturity, the way he carries himself. He’s always done that. To me, he’s always been mature beyond his years, but now watching him take it out on the field with his preparation, his concentration and competitiveness, it’s been really nice to watch."
Greene is rated as the sport's No. 61 prospect by Baseball America, jumping from No. 97 in the publication's preseason rankings.
Nick Lodolo, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, has been dominant at Double-A Chattanooga this season, but he left his last two starts early because of issues with blisters.
Once the blisters subside and Lodolo makes a few healthy starts, he should be on track to follow Greene to Louisville. Lodolo owns a 2-0 record and 0.90 ERA through six starts. He's struck out 45 and walked six in 30 innings.
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