Andrew Abbott finally erased the fear Reds fans just couldn’t shake

There is a very specific kind of panic that only comes with watching a pitcher you believe in look unlike himself. That was the place Cincinnati Reds fans had reached with Andrew Abbott. After the year he put together in 2025, nobody wanted to say it too loudly. But it was felt.

However, Abbott’s latest start against the Houston Astros felt bigger than six shutout innings. Cincinnati beat Houston 5-0, and Abbott made sure it never felt especially complicated. He allowed only three singles and one walk, struck out five, threw 55 of his 85 pitches for strikes, and never let an Astros runner reach second base.

But the real story is that Abbott finally looked like Abbott again. His start to the season had given Reds fans permission to worry. He entered late April with a 6.59 ERA through six starts, and the command issues weren’t subtle. He had walked multiple batters in five straight starts and allowed 21 earned runs in 22⅔ innings during that stretch.  

The Reds didn’t have the luxury of shrugging it off, either. Abbott became Cincinnati’s Opening Day starter in large part because Hunter Greene was dealing with an elbow issue and Nick Lodolo opened the year on the injured list with a blister. That put Abbott in a different emotional category. He was the guy being asked to stabilize the rotation.

Andrew Abbott’s turnaround is exactly the type of stability the Reds needed

We have to be careful not to overdo this. Abbott’s season ERA didn’t magically turn a corner overnight. There’s still early-season damage baked into the line. The WHIP is still carrying some of that traffic too. But the last three starts have looked like a pitcher pulling the wheel back onto the road.

Before facing Houston, Abbott had already started to settle in, allowing just two earned runs over 11⅔ innings against the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs after giving up 15 earned runs in 11⅔ innings over his previous three starts. Then he backed it up against a real Astros lineup by doing something that felt like a statement: he struck out Yordan Alvarez three times.

Alvarez is the type of hitter who can ruin a good plan with one swing. Abbott didn’t just survive him. He handled him.

Cincinnati’s rotation picture has been too fragile for Abbott to spend two months searching. The Reds could survive a few uneven starts from Abbott in April, but they couldn’t afford for the concern to become the identity of his season.This outing felt like reassurance that it wouldn’t.

The bullpen helped finish the message, too. Tejay Antone, Sam Moll and Graham Ashcraft combined for three perfect innings after Abbott left, giving the Reds their second straight game in which the bullpen didn’t allow a baserunner. 

For Abbott, though, this was personal in the baseball sense. He had earned a higher level of trust with what he did last season. That’s why the early struggles were so jarring. When a fringe pitcher struggles, everyone moves on quickly. When a pitcher like Abbott struggles, people start searching for reasons.

Sunday gave Reds fans the answer they needed. Abbott may not have erased every concern, but he restored some belief. 

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