Andrew Abbott was the Reds 2022 Pitching Prospect of the Year

Every Reds fan has heard of the up-and-coming shortstop Elly De La Cruz. In fact, the Cincinnati faithful have seen several top shortstop prospects strewn throughout the upper echelon of the Cincinnati Reds farm system.

But there's not been as much chatter about the Reds top pitching prospects. Perhaps that's because the team's top three young pitchers made the leap to the big leagues in 2022. Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Graham Ashcraft all graduated from prospect status and are expected to be key contributors on next year's Reds team.

But Cincinnati still has some very talented pitching prospects in their pipeline. Among them is former University of Virginia standout Andrew Abbott. The left-hander gets our vote for Cincinnati Reds Pitching Prospect of the Year.

Andrew Abbott was the Reds 2022 Pitching Prospect of the Year.

Andrew Abbott was the Cincinnati Reds second-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. The 23-year-old spent the majority of his collegiate career as a reliever, but was given the opportunity to start for the Hoos in 2021. He posted a 2.87 ERA that season and the Reds gladly selected the southpaw with the 52nd pick in the draft.

Abbott may follow a similar path to Graham Ashcraft, as there are scouts who believe that he'll eventually find his way into a relief role. That may be, but the Reds are certainly going to give Abbott every chance to prove that he has what it takes to stick as a starter.

Abbott left no doubt about his abilities in five games with the Dayton Dragons this season. The lefty mowed down he competition with a 0.67 ERA in 27 innings of work. Abbott punched out 40 opposing batters while walking only seven and saw just 16 of the 103 batters he faced get base knock.

Abbott's skills were already overmatching the competition at High-A, so Cincinnati's brass made the call to elevate the left-hander to Double-A Chattanooga. The bump up in competition proved to be a bit more challenging, but Abbott weathered the storm and still finished the 2022 season with a 4.75 ERA and 3.48 FIP.

Abbott saw his strikeout-rate drop just touch after being promoted, and his walk-rate increased. All those are expected when a young player makes the type of jump Abbott did in 2022. Abbott's final three starts of the season saw the southpaw record 21 strikeouts in 16 innings and he didn't allow a single runner to dent the plate. That's a terrific way to close out a season.

Andrew Abbott's final line on the year saw him go 10-7 with a 3.81 ERA that included one complete game shutout. Abbott recorded 159 strikeouts and will probably receive an invite to major league camp next spring. Abbott has all the skills to be an effective starter in the majors, and if he can reduce his walks, could join the big league club as soon as next season.