It's easy for Reds fans to be a prisoner of the moment following Hunter Greene's horrific start

There is no way to deny it, Hunter Greene laid an egg on Sunday afternoon. The much-anticipated return of the Cincinnati Reds starter was met with a thud.

Greene was lit up to the tune of nine runs, eight of them earned, on 10 hits. That included five balls that left the yard. It was easily Greene's shortest and worst performance of the season.

But oftentimes fans have tunnel-vision and are unable to look beyond the awful performance they just witnessed. And while Greene's outing on Sunday was an utter disaster, it's important to not be a prisoner of the moment.

It's easy to be a prisoner of the moment following Hunter Greene's horrific start.

Hunter Greene giving up home runs is nothing new. The right-hander supplies the power to the opposing batter by throwing balls toward the plate at 100 mph. Entering yesterday's game, however, Greene was surrendering just 1.10 HR/9. That number jumped to 1.65 after giving up five bombs on Sunday.

Greene had a sub-4.00 ERA and 3.57 FIP on Sunday morning. But by the afternoon, that number skyrocketed and the flamethrower now owns 4.72 ERA and 4.42 FIP. Greene's 10.5-percent home run to fly ball ratio also grew to 14.7-percent.

But this was just Greene's 39th career-start. A former Reds pitcher who many fans wish was still with the team had a similar start to his career. Luis Castillo's first 39 starts saw hiim post 4.25 ERA and 4.21 FIP according to FanGraphs.

Many baseball fans consider Max Scherzer the best pitcher of his generation. Scherzer's first 39 starts saw him post a 3.75 ERA. How about Zack Greinke? According to FanGraphs, the likely Hall of Famer owned a 4.75 ERA and 4.66 FIP through his first 39 starts.

The point is, there are any number of examples that exist to suggest that Hunter Greene has the ability to overcome what some fans may consider shortcomings during the early stages of his career.

It's important to remember that the former first-round pick is barely 24 years old and missed what amounts to two seasons due Tommy John surgery and the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season.

Yes, Hunter Greene must continue to develop that changeup. It will be a crucial pitch for him to master as he moves forward. But don't forget that despite the additions of rookies Brandon Williamson and Andrew Abbott to the rotation, Greene is still the youngest starter on the Reds roster.

The Cincinnati Reds pursuit of a possible playoff spot has fans hanging on every pitch and swing of the bat. But this season was, and continues to be, about the development of the young players as the front office eyes long-term success. Don't forget that this club lost 100 games last season.