Reds fans hope there's not a curse attached to Rhett Lowder's new jersey number

Rhett Lowder has a new jersey number, Reds fans. The former first-round pick, who put forth a stunning performance during his six-game stint in the big leagues last season, will turn in his No. 81 for No. 25 heading into the 2025 season.

Hopefully the Cincinnati Reds' clubhouse staff gave those jerseys a thorough cleaning over the offseason because the No. 25 belonged to former manager David Bell. After six seasons with the organization and .473 winning percentage, Bell was fired with a week left in the 2024 regular season and bench coach Freddie Benavides was tasked with taking over the final few games.

The Reds have since found their new manager in the form of future Hall of Famer Terry Francona. The new skipper will don No. 77 while watching his young club from the dugout during the upcoming season, and it'll be interesting to see if Lowder is able to convince Francona to put him on the Opening Day roster.

Reds fans hope there's not a curse attached to Rhett Lowder's new jersey number

It was never part of the plan to elevate Lowder to the big league roster last year, but after suffering an inordinate amount of injuries to the starting rotation, his promotion became a necessity. Lowder was quite impressive and posted a 2-2 record in six starts with a sparkling 1.17 ERA and 22 punch outs in 30 ⅔ innings of work.

Lowder will be in a tight competition this spring. Not only did the Reds retain right-hander Nick Martinez, but the club also traded for Brady Singer. Both Martinez and Singer are assumed to be part of the Reds' Opening Day starting rotation alongside Hunter Greene and the left-handed duo of Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott.

Injuries are always part of the game, and if one of those five pitchers is forced to miss time at the outset of the 2025 campaign, it's a safe bet that the Reds would call upon Lowder as the next-man up. Cincinnati could also entertain the idea of a six-man rotation, but that would shrink the Reds bullpen.

It's not so much a matter of if, but when Lowder will make his 2025 debut. Reds fans can only hope that the No. 25 brings Lowder better luck than it did the jersey's previous owner. The last player to wear No. 25 was Cody Reed back in 2018. In all, 33 players have worn the No. 25 for the Reds, including Ray Knight, Todd Benzinger, and David's grandfather Gus Bell.

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