After contentious discussions, the MLB lockout is over and teams have begun their spring training schedules. Opening Day has been pushed to April 14, which gives teams some extra time to finalize their rosters and rotations. In this series, TGH will be summarizing each team’s 2021 season and predicting their Opening Day pitching rotation. Here is the Cincinnati Reds pitching rotation for 2022.
Summary
The NL Central was fairly competitive in 2021, as the Reds came in third place in the division with a record of 83-79. Despite looking like they were playoff bound during the middle of the season, they missed the postseason while the Cardinals and the Brewers moved on.
Cincinnati made some controversial moves in the offseason, starting with extending manager David Bell. They also lost a lot of pieces, which angered the fan base. But, they did announce their starting rotation for the first week of the season. Here is a look at the Reds’ 2022 pitching rotation.
1. Tyler Mahle
Mahle set a career-high in starts last season, with 33. With a massive workload of 180 innings pitched, he still managed to post an ERA of 3.75. He struck out 210 and won 13 games in 2021. He gets the Opening Day starting spot due to the injury to Luis Castillo.
2. Reiver Sanmartin
Sanmartin has apparently earned enough good will to grab the second slot in the rotation despite pitching only 11.2 innings in 2021. He struck out 11 and managed to go 2-0 in both of his appearances, both of which were starts.
3. Vladimir Gutierrez
Gutierrez got his first MLB work last season with the Reds. He pitched 114 innings, putting up an ERA of 4.74. He did get some nice run support, though, going 9-6 in 22 starts. Gutierrez is not a big strike out guy, though, fanning just 88 last year.
4. Hunter Greene
Reds fans have been clamoring for Greene to join the roster ever since he was drafted back in 2017. He put up great numbers with the Louisville Bats, leading the Reds’ brass to finally get their wish. Time will tell if his skills translate to the majors and allows him to stay in the rotation.
5. Vacant
The Reds announced a four man rotation, with Tyler Mahle coming back around after Greene’s start. Luis Castillo is currently injured, or he would likely be at the top of the rotation, so expect to see him at the number one spot when he is healthy. The likeliest starter to take this place will be Nick Lodolo, once the rotation goes to five players in Week 2.
Featured image courtesy of Andy Lyons/Getty Images
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