Reds starter Andrew Abbott just shoved his way into the Cy Young conversation

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott will not get the headlines, but he's well on his way to a spot on the All-Star roster this season. He's a crafty lefty with a 92 mph fastball and doesn't get near the number of punch outs as his counterparts — but he knows how to pitch, and should be firmly entrenched in the Cy Young discussion.

Abbott proved once again this past weekend why he belongs among the best of the best in the National League. Having lost their first two games against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium — with Saturday's loss coming in extra innings — the Reds sent their stopper to the hill on Sunday.

After exhausting his bullpen on Saturday, Reds manager Terry Francona needed a big-time performance from Abbott and he got. The southpaw was utterly dominant against the Cardinals, holding Oli Marmol's squad to just one run on three hits while striking out three St. Louis batters. Abbott covered seven innings before turning the ball over to the Reds bullpen, and Cincinnati emerged with a 4-1 victory.

Reds starter Andrew Abbott joined Paul Skenes atop the NL Cy Young conversation

Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes currently leads the NL in ERA, but that's due to a technicality. Skenes' 1.85 ERA is stellar, but Abbott owns a 1.79 ERA. The problem for Abbott, however, is that he doesn't meet the minimum innings-requirement because of his early-season stint on the IL. Skenes has started 16 games this season with 102 innings pitched, while Abbott has covered just 75 ⅓ innings in his 13 starts.

Side-by-side statistical comparisons, however, show that Abbott has a lower ERA and higher ERA+ (251). Obviously, Abbott is never going to match Skenes' strikeout numbers, but both players keep the bases rather clean with less than 2.5 walks per nine innings pitched.

Other pitchers in the Cy Young conversation are Washington Nationals' left-hander MacKenzie Gore, San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb, and Philadelphia Phillies hurler Zack Wheeler. Last year's NL Cy Young Award-winner, Chris Sale, just hit the IL and is expected to miss significant time.

Abbott may not be a household name just yet, but his dominance this season cannot be ignored. His performance is also a sobering reminder that Cincinnati will need to have some intense discussions with the lefty about a long-term contract extension this offseason.

Heading into 2026, Abbott will eligible for arbitration, and that's typically the time when organizations and players starting talking about big-money deals — something Abbott's earned with his outstanding production this season.

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