Reds fans have reason for hope after Andrew Abbott’s latest step forward

Andrew Abbott needed this one. Not because one strong start against the Colorado Rockies suddenly erases a rough April, and not because anyone needs to pretend the opponent is a final-boss-caliber measuring stick. But after a frustrating opening month defined by too many outings that ended before the Cincinnati Reds could exhale, Abbott finally gave himself and his team something to build on.

Abbott’s first win of 2026 was not a full reset, but it felt like a pitcher finally getting his feet back under him. He entered April 30 still trying to reconnect with the 2025 All-Star version of himself, six innings of two-run baseball were a reminder that the path back is still there.

He finally gave Cincinnati something that looked like the version of Abbott this team needs. He came into Thursday’s start with a 6.59 ERA, had not completed six innings in any of his previous five outings since Opening Day, and had watched some of the cleanest parts of his profile get messy. The strikeouts were down. The walks were up. The delivery, by Terry Francona’s own admission, had not always looked fully in sync. 

Andrew Abbott’s gritty breakthrough gives Reds fans something to hold onto

Against Colorado, Abbott gave the Reds six innings, allowed two runs, struck out five, walked two, and finally got that first win of the season in Cincinnati’s 6-4 victory.

More importantly, he looked like someone who had found a thread worth pulling. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon noted that Abbott and pitching coach Derek Johnson had been working to get him back to the roots of what made him effective, including mechanical adjustments and renewed trust in his sweeper. Abbott called the moment “vindication” after the game, while also pointing to the hard work of simply sticking with it.  

We know what Abbott can be. He’s not a flame-throwing ace that changes the Reds’ outlook. His best version is more subtle than that. He works ahead, changes eye levels, spins enough to keep hitters honest, and competes like someone who understands that six solid innings can be just as valuable as one electric highlight clip. That version gives Cincinnati structure and keeps the bullpen from getting overexposed. It also lets the Reds feel like they are not just surviving until Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are fully back in the mix.

That is why Thursday’s outing deserves more than a shrug, even with the Rockies caveat attached. Abbott gave up a two-run homer in the first inning, which easily could have turned into another here-we-go-again start. Instead, he settled in. He retired 10 of the next 11 batters. Then, he got through a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and came back out for the sixth to finish his assignment.

The response is the part Reds fans should care about most. Not the opponent. Because this team needs Abbott to be dependable. The Reds cannot afford to build every win around the idea that the offense will drag the pitching staff out of trouble. That will get exhausting fast. It’s also not exactly a postseason blueprint unless the goal is to age the fanbase in dog years.

Abbott still has to prove the delivery can hold and that the walks will come down. And the Reds should feel encouraged, not satisfied. Now comes the next step. Do it again.

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