Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott isn't looking like an All-Star in 2026

AL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksPower RankingsFans Speak UpTop ProspectsAnalysisReds left-hander Andrew Abbott isn’t looking like an All-Star in 2026Andrew Abbott gave up three runs on five hits in the first inning of Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Angels, and things didn't get much better after that. Andy Lyons / Getty Images Share full articleCINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds starter Andrew Abbott’s rough spring training was dismissed as an aberration after he threw six scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day. After he gave up seven runs in three-plus innings in Sunday’s 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, the question becomes, was Opening Day the outlier? Abbott gave up three runs on five hits in the first inning and then another pair of runs on two hits in the second, getting bailed out by a base-running blunder by Jo Adell that kept the Reds’ deficit to five. After retiring the order in the third, Abbott gave up a solo home run to start the fourth and then walked No. 9 Bryce Tedosio, ending his day before his team’s offense had a hit against Angels starter José Soriano. “Take what you can learn from it and move on to the next one,” Abbott said. “We have a long season, and I’m going to have plenty more starts. It’s important to learn from it and grow, and everyone’s going to have rough outings, and it’s about how you respond and how you come back the next time.” The Reds still have a winning record at 9-7 despite fielding one of the game’s worst offenses, in part because until this last time through the rotation, they were getting consistent starting pitching and not overly taxing their bullpen. Over the last five games leading into Monday’s much-needed off day, the team’s five starters combined to go 0-4 with a 10.62 ERA. In that stretch, Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder each pitched into the sixth inning. None of the other three starters — Abbott, Brady Singer or Brandon Williamson — made it to the fifth inning, much less through it. The team’s record during that stretch: 1-4. The last time Abbott started, he allowed only two runs in 5 1/3 innings. But he’s dealt with the consequence of starting Opening Day: the four starters opposite of him so far have been Garrett Crochet, Paul Skenes, Sandy Alcantara and now Soriano. The latter doesn’t have the accolades of the other three (two Cy Young winners and last year’s runner-up for the award in the American League), but he has maybe been the best of the four so far this year. Soriano allowed just two singles over seven scoreless innings. He walked three and struck out 10. “He came as advertised,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “He’s got high-90s two-seam movement, breaking ball, split, and then he four-seams it every once in a while up high. He’s pretty impressive.” Abbott gave up eight hits, but of those, only half were hit harder than 95 mph off the bat, and the hardest of the first three hits was 86.6 mph off the bat. Last season, Abbott’s average exit velocity was in the 84th percentile at 87.8 mph. Only the final two hits he allowed Sunday were hit harder than 100 mph. “It’s just not as easy as you want it to be, when it’s kind of a grind,” Francona said. “He’ll be OK. He wasn’t as bad as the line looked. That’s the point I’m trying to make.” Abbott said he actually felt good, especially in the first, but the balls were hit where his fielders weren’t. “I got some soft contact that just found some holes,” Abbott said. “Credit those guys being able to hit my stuff in and out of the zone. I just didn’t step up and make pitches when I needed to.” Each of the first three hits came on 2-2 counts. This season, Abbott’s chase rate is 26.9 percent, down from 30.2 percent last year. His whiff rate is 19 percent, down from 24 percent last season. Without getting swings-and-misses, hitters can put defensive swings in play, and those can find holes. To Abbott, the problem isn’t physical as much as it is adjusting to hitters and being intentional with what he wants to do. With José Trevino on the injured list, Tyler Stephenson started six of the Reds’ last seven games. P.J. Higgins, called up for Thursday’s game, made his second start Sunday. “I think the plan was pretty good — I think I could’ve shook to different pitches in different counts, and maybe I think I repeated certain pitches to certain people,” Abbott said. “(Oswald) Peraza, I threw three changeups to start him off … the third one he hammered. Major-league hitters are going to make the adjustment.” Abbott said he wanted to add more cutters. He threw just two Sunday — one was fouled off, and the other was a ball. He also threw just four sweepers among his 71 pitches (5.6 percent). Last year, the pitch counted for 13.8 percent of his pitches. “I haven’t been executing it as I have in the past, and I’d say that has a little bit to do with it,” Abbott said. “We’re still working on it. It’s still really good, and it moves a lot, and it’s hard to hit anything that moves in this league. I think it’s more of a trust thing — I’ve hung more than I used to, so I definitely think it’s not getting used to (right-handed hitters), but I think there’s also truth in that throwing it more probably will lead to it getting back to where it was.” If there is a positive, he’s been successful with one of his main goals from this offseason: inducing ground balls. His ground-ball rate has nearly doubled, going from 32.9 percent in 2025 to 58.2 percent in his first four starts this season. If he can continue that with the ability to put away batters with two pitches, it should be enough to return him to form. “I love being in the air when they stay in the ballpark,” Abbott said. “If they’re on the ground, we normally have a better chance of getting an out, and they just weren’t in the right spots (Sunday).” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms C. Trent Rosecrans is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Cincinnati Reds and Major League Baseball. He previously covered the Reds for the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Cincinnati Post and has also covered Major League Baseball for CBSSports.com. Follow C. Trent on Twitter @ctrent