Austin Hays' comments reveal why Reds fans should be excited for the 2025 season

Austin Hays knows quality baseball. During his time in Baltimore, he was surrounded by a group of young players with some of the highest expectations in baseball. Still, big-league pitchers humbled him. With that experience under his belt, Hays has some high praise for his new teammates in Cincinnati.

In an interview with Charlie Goldsmith, Hays noted that facing off against the Orioles’ pitchers in live at-bats was a “turning point” for Baltimore’s young stars. He sees a similar opportunity with the Cincinnati Reds. Like veteran Wade Miley, Hays lavished praise on Cincy’s pitching prospects. The electric young arms will level up the competition as workouts continue in Goodyear.

Austin Hays praised the Reds’ young pitchers, likening the squad to his former Orioles teammates

Hays’ praise should comfort some Reds fans in the wake of disappointing injury news about Andrew Abbott and Rhett Lowder. The veteran’s comments imply that the players who are able to fully participate in live BP, such as Hunter Greene, haven’t missed a beat since the end of last season. The Reds are also fortunate to have a deep pool of pitching prospects to draw from while the regulars continue their rehab.

The comparisons to the Orioles didn’t stop at the pitching. Hays drew a parallel between the current Cincinnati team and the 2022 O’s, who won 30 more games than the previous year. Like the Reds, that team relied on youth, particularly in the pitching department. Just four of the 35 players that took the mound were 30 or older. A comparison to the ‘22 Orioles bodes well for the Reds. Baltimore built on that success and won the division in 2023.

Hays also has reason to fondly look back on his Orioles days. His battles with illness in 2024 derailed his once-promising career. If he can capture the form he displayed prior to that, he could be one of the key players as the Reds look to make a run in 2025.

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