Reds rookie Andrew Abbott has better numbers than this former Cy Young Award-winner

Andrew Abbott will toe the rubber tonight for the Cincinnati Reds as the team enters the final stretch with their postseason hopes hanging in the balance.

Had Abbott began the 2023 season with the big league club and put up the same type of numbers we've seen from the 24-year-old this season, it's quite possible that he'd be in the NL Cy Young Award conversation.

But with fewer than 100 innings pitched, Abbott is unlikely to receive many votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. However, his numbers this season are already better than the 2021 NL Cy Young Award-winner.

Reds rookie Andrew Abbott has better numbers than former Cy Young Award-winner Corbin Burnes.

Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes is having another fine season. Sure, it's not as spectacular as his Cy Young campaign of two years ago, but Burnes is still among the elite arms in the game and could be in line for significant contract extension during the upcoming offseason.

But when you put the numbers side-by-side, Cincinnati Reds rookie hurler Andrew Abbott has been better than Burnes in almost every facet of the game this season. Despite his youth, Abbott is putting up stats that are quite unfathomable.

Technically, Abbott does not meet the standard of being considered a qualifying starter due to his lack of innings pitched. But, were you compare some of his stats among the best in the National League, you'd see that he'd be in the mix.

Abbott would be tied with Arizona Diamondbacks Merrill Kelly with the fourth-best ERA (3.22) and in a dead-heat with Miami's Jesus Luzardo for 11th in the NL with a WHIP of 1.200. Abbott's 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings would place him in Top 10, as would his .274 BAbip.

Obviously statistics can vary from season to season. Corbin Burnes was dominant in 2021 and won the Cy Young Award that season. In 2022, Burnes finished seventh in the NL Cy Young voting with Sandy Alcantara taking home the trophy. Alcantara has still be very good this season, but probably won't be among the top vote-getter for the award this season.

But don't let that distract from what Reds fans are seeing in 2023. Abbott has frontline stuff and could very well be the ace of next year's team. The left-hander has the composure and the moxie to lead this Cincinnati Reds starting rotation into the future.

While he may not get Cy Young consideration this season, look for Andrew Abbott to be on the shortlist for the award in 2024.