Troubling stat won't help Reds prospect Levi Stoudt get back to the major leagues

Levi Stoudt made a spot start for the Cincinnati Reds last month, and judging by his most recent performance in Triple-A, that may be his only big league start of the season.

While it would be an egregious error on the part of the Cincinnati front office to keep Stoudt in the minor leagues all season, his recent performance sure isn't giving them much confidence.

On Sunday afternoon against the Iowa Cubs, Stoudt made it through just three innings and allowed eight runs on six hits. Stoudt's ERA ballooned from 3.37 to 5.68. There's one area of Stoudt's game that needs to be addressed, and quickly.

Troubling stat won't help Reds prospect Levi Stoudt get back to the major leagues.

Reds Country knows all too well that walks will haunt. Well, Levi Stoudt was probably up all night after issuing six free passes on Sunday in Des Moines. Stoudt also hit a batter and threw a wild pitch through three innings of work.

This is not a new problem for Stoudt. The 25-year-old has the same number of strikeouts (16) on the season as he does walks. It doesn't matter how highly-touted you are, a 0.0-percent K/BB is not going to get you a second audition in The Show.

In his lone major league start back on April 19th, Stoudt lasted just four innings after surrendering seven runs on nine hits including a leadoff home run. Thankfully, in that start, Stoudt walked just one batter.

Walks have been a problem for Stoudt all season. Outside of his start on April 25th against the same Iowa Cubs team that lit him up on Sunday, Stoudt has issued at least three walks in every start this season for Triple-A Louisville.

The Cincinnati Reds rotation would seem to have a spot up for grabs if one of the team's young prospects was hungry enough to come grab it. At this rate, Andrew Abbott seems like the most likely one to do so and he's been in Louisville for less than a week.