Top Prospect Nick Lodolo Promoted To Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Louisville Bats today announced that MLB.com’s No. 1 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds’ system, left-hander Nick Lodolo, has been promoted from Double-A Chattanooga to Triple-A Louisville. Lodolo is scheduled to make his Triple-A debut as the Bats’ starting pitcher Wednesday at St. Paul at 2:05 p.m.

Lodolo, 23, is rated by Baseball America as possessing the “best control” of any pitcher in the Reds’ farm system entering the 2021 season. Through his first 10 career starts at the Double-A level this season, Lodolo is 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA (9er/44.0ip), 68 strikeouts and 0.91 WHIP in 44.0 innings pitched. If Lodolo were to qualify for league leaders, he would rank first in Double-A South in ERA and WHIP and fourth in opposing batting average (.196).

The La Verne, California native has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his starts with the Double-A Lookouts this season. He’s tossed 7.0+ shutout innings in two of his 10 starts and recorded more than half of his total outs via strikeout (68 of his 132 outs are strikeouts).

Lodolo also recently played alongside fellow top prospect SS Jose Barrero at the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field in Denver. Lodolo struck out one batter in a perfect inning of work.

Lodolo was originally selected seventh overall by the Reds in 2019.

The Bats now feature each of the top two ranked pitching prospects in the Reds’ system in Lodolo (MLB.com No. 1) and RHP Hunter Greene (MLB.com No. 2). The duo is scheduled to be a dynamic one-two punch for Louisville with Lodolo taking the mound Wednesday at St. Paul and Greene getting the ball the following game Thursday at the Saints.