MESA, Ariz. -- Hunter Greene has been working hard to become the face and the ace of the Reds' young and promising starting rotation.?
His effort has paid off. Reds manager David Bell named Greene the Opening Day starter after Thursday’s 8-6 loss to the Cubs. The 23-year-old tossed four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three.
“It means the world,” Greene said. “It’s a huge honor considering the history in Cincinnati, the success they’ve had in the city. I take a lot of pride in it. It’s a huge honor, especially with the rest of the talent in the starting rotation we have.”
It’s Greene’s plan to help resurrect the success of baseball in Cincinnati. The Reds have won the seventh most World Series (five), but have not won the Fall Classic since 1990.
“It’s a baseball city, and we know that,” Greene said. “We've got to go out there and win. Obviously, we’re working extremely hard and we want to win just as much as the fans and bring that atmosphere back to the city.”
Last year, the right-hander made his much-anticipated debut and showed why the Reds made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. Greene led the team in strikeouts (164), innings (125 2/3) and starts (24), while also showing off his fastball that consistently clocked in at 100 mph. He did have a bump in the road when he was placed on the injured list for six weeks with a right shoulder strain, but it didn’t slow him down: He finished with a 1.02 ERA over his last six starts.
“He doesn't just say that, he shows that in his actions,” Bell said. “Not only on our team, but in the community. He cares about other people and his teammates. He goes out of his way to make a difference. As hard as he works for himself, he works even harder for other people.
“To have somebody like that is a big part of our team, not only now but hopefully for years to come because it's a great thing for our organization and our city,” Bell added.
But like most promising young pitchers, Greene knows he still has plenty to improve upon, so he’s been working on enhancing his secondary pitches this Spring Training. Last season, 40.9 percent of Greene’s pitches were sliders, with which he held hitters to a .170 batting average. On the other hand, opponents hit .364 against his changeup, which he threw just 5.3 percent of the time.
“I want to be one of the best pitchers in the game,” Greene said. “As I watch [Max] Scherzer, [Jacob] deGrom, [Justin] Verlander and Sandy [Alcantara], all those guys take a lot of pride in [the fact] their secondary pitches are just as impressive as their high velocity. I recognize that, I know that, I'm aware of it. And I’m just trying to build on that as much as I can and be the best I can be.
“I think that's the biggest thing about being a professional, especially at this level, is being able to make those adjustments quickly. I think that's the difference between high school, college and professional guys. The adjustments have to be really pitch-by-pitch and if not game-by-game.”