Look out! Abbott fans 14 more for Chattanooga

Andrew Abbott has been as untouchable as it gets to start the season for the Double-A Lookouts.

On the heels of a 11-strikeout season debut on April 6 against Rocket City, the Reds' No. 10 prospect was even sharper Thursday night. Abbott struck out a career-high 14 hitters over six scoreless innings in Chattanooga's 8-3 win over Mississippi. The Braves eked out just two singles without drawing any walks against the left-hander, who saved his best for last by striking out the last six batters he faced.

“It’s just (about) getting to strike one for me,” Abbott said. “Just getting ahead of guys allows -- not just me -- but any pitcher, wherever they are, to be able to throw their best stuff. So I just attribute that to just trying to go 0-1. … And then when we get 0-1, then I can throw this and that, and mix it up.”

It's not the kind of start that can be brushed off easily, marking just the ninth time in the past 10 seasons that a Minor Leaguer recorded 14 or more strikeouts without a walk on two or fewer hits without allowing a run.

Abbott has issued just one free pass over 10 2/3 innings on the bump this year, giving up only the two hits and without allowing a run.

Not that this is anything new for the 23-year-old selected by the Reds in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2021 Draft. Abbott's been known to be a strikeout machine. Last season, he posted an 11.77 K/9 rate over 20 Double-A starts. What he needed to work on was his walk total, as he issued free passes to 4.05 batters per nine frames. That led to an ERA of 4.75, a mighty jump from the 0.67 he posted over five appearances at High-A Dayton.

“I hate walking people,” Abbott said. “It’s good to see a zero in the walk column for sure, no matter how many K's you have. Walks are free bases, and free bases can come back to bite you.”

These first two starts have shown the Virginia product has made great strides on that front, and a good part of that might have to do with him feeling more locked in and comfortable at the Double-A level in 2023. Last year, Abbott was on pitching and inning limits in Chattanooga.

“Having the free range and the trust from the Reds to just say, ‘Hey, we’re going to stick you here, just go out and dominate and the pieces will fall together,’" he said. "I’m just buying into that, and just going out and trying to do my job every time I get the ball.”