Andrew Abbott established himself as a top starter. Now, in his third major league season, the 26-year-old Southpaw has a 8-1 record, with 2.13 ERA and 3.42 FIP in 97 1/3 innings. Additionally, he represented the Cincinnati Reds in last week’s All-Star Game. Abbott is worth mentioning in Ben Clemens’ ongoing trade value series that he has been receiving his fair share at Fangraphs. Jake Mailhot wrote about him in mid-May, and Michael Baumann did it in mid-June. Baumann also covered Abbott as a rookie in this August 2023 post.
If you want, accuse us of being Abbottgraphs, but the University of Virginia product does get another writing from you. As a big fan of the crafty lefty, I wasn’t going to miss out on the opportunity to talk to Abbott and others when the Reds visited Fenway Park earlier this month.
Not surprisingly, his self-assessment almost matches what I read and see.
Abbott admits: “I’m not an overwhelming guy.” Mixing speed and throwing guys out of balance has always been my game name. This and stay in the area as much as possible. I am also proud of the pride available, throwing 100 balls on the fifth day of each day. ”
Abbott attacked the strike zone fearlessly with all his courts, including pedestrian fastballs. In 17 starts, he has a walking rate of 6.3% – with a accompanying strikeout rate of 22.3% – he has issued two or fewer free passes in all of his outings except for three outings.
“He’s a bulldog,” Reds Broadcasting analyst Chris Welsh told me: “That guy wants to go there and close, and he does that most of the time. Attitude has come a long way.”
“He has some mosey for him,” added Cincinnati’s assistant pitching coach Simon Mathews. “This supports his ability to execute his fastball looks very stylish, with two very good throws and a change. He has a confidence in himself, which really impresses people with an unconventional person.”
What makes left-handed stuff unconventional?
“There is a lack of high-end antenna on the heater,” Matthews said. It also lacks the upper shape. It has a very flat approach and is carried a little bit, but none of these numbers will jump to your page. The same thing as his broken ball. The sweeper’s broken ball will skip these things + models will be a little more than the bent ball. He exchanged his meaning in his original state. He means his absolute. The root cause of why [the fastball] It might be really good, but throwing fastballs in the major league zone still takes a lot of courage. Of course he has. ”
Abbott in the field academics—he earned a three-year degree in biology at UVA and then returned to earn a master’s degree in education—but on mounds, he was “more like a traditional man than an analytical type.” Although he understands the basic characteristics that help his stuff work, he claims not to think too much about the details, such as his approach angle and subsequent motion profiles. As Mailhot proposed in his May article, Abbott’s fastball “has not entered where they expected it.”
The batsman tells Abbott about the deceptiveness of his arsenal.
“I heard from some people that the ball just jumps, it’s faster than they expected,” he said. “From my hands to where the plate reaches, it’s a rising effect. I also heard that my sweeper and curve balls are tight spinners, they can’t really pick up the spin, they just go. But, from person to person, it’s different.
I asked Tyler Stephenson about Abbott’s arsenal and approach.
“With his delivery – a little firefight – his heater can be carried well,” said the Red Army catcher. “I think that surprised a lot of people. A lot of people would sway it, or foul it. His spin feels very good too. What did develop last year was his change. It turned into a huge weapon.”
Throwing with 20.1% clips – up from 16.3% a year ago – Abbott’s change is his second product, second only to his sneaky heater (47.6%). Curve balls (15.5%), sweepers (12.4%) and knives (4.4%) make up the rest of his season.
Atypical Abbott is by no means a unicorn. With that in mind, I asked Stephenson and Wales if there were any pitchers comparing them with their first-time All-Stars. Stephenson is in his sixth major league season and he can’t come up with an answer, but Welsh does it, with little hesitation.
“The comparison I gave me was Tom Browning,” said Wales, who had been in the major leagues before joining the broadcast team in 1981-1986. “I’ve played with Tommy and know that the left-handed’s pitching style is very good. [Abbott] Throw a four-slit fastball and cover it up as he threw a little on his body. It’s hard to pick up. This year he has also made some adjustments and made adjustments in more changes. He also straightened his delivery slightly to the plate. I think it helps his speed, especially the change. But yes, I’ll say Tommy. ”
Browning has been ranked No. 1 in Cincinnati rubber since 1984-1994, occupying a better pitcher in red history. For three years, Abbott has had the opportunity to exercise a similar career.
