Andrew Abbott

Lore & Background

Abbott attended Halifax County High School in South Boston, Virginia. He was selected by the New York Yankees in the 36th round of the 2017 MLB draft but did not sign and played college baseball at the University of Virginia. In 2018, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League. After four years at Virginia, Abbott was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round, 53rd overall, of the 2021 MLB draft and signed. He spent his first professional season with the Arizona Complex League Reds and Daytona Tortugas. He started 2022 with the Dayton Dragons and was promoted to the Chattanooga Lookouts during the season. In 91 innings at Double-A (across 20 starts), he posted a 4.75 ERA with 119 strikeouts and 41 walks. He was one of five Reds prospects invited to the team's 2023 spring training camp. Abbott began the year with Double-A Chattanooga, posting a 1.15 ERA across 3 starts before he promoted to the Triple-A Louisville Bats. In 7 starts for Louisville, Abbott logged a 3–0 record and 3.05 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 38+1⁄3 innings of work. On June 4, 2023, the Reds announced that Abbott would be promoted to the major leagues for the first time to start against the Milwaukee Brewers the following day. Abbott made his major league debut on June 5 and threw 6 shutout innings versus the Brewers, striking out 6 batters and allowing only 1 hit, making him the only left-hander in the Modern Era to pitch at least 6 scoreless innings with at least 6 strikeouts and no more than one hit allowed in an MLB debut, and the first Reds pitcher to do so since 1893. On June 16, Abbott surrendered four hits over six scoreless innings against the Houston Astros to become first MLB pitcher to hurl three scoreless starts of at least five innings since 1893. Abbott finished his rookie season with an 8–6 record and 3.87 ERA in 21 starts, striking out 120 batters in 109+1⁄3 innings. In the 2024 season, he was 10–10 with a 3.72 ERA in 130 innings, striking out 114 batters over 25 starts. His season ended prematurely after he was diagnosed with a left (pitching) shoulder strain, for which he was placed on the injured list on August 20th, and from which he did not return in 2024. Heading into the 2025 season, Abbott was expected to be in the Reds' pitching rotation again, but the same shoulder injury delayed his start to the season b

In Their Own Story

The afternoon sun beat down on the practice field as Andrew Abbott tightened his glove, listening to the rhythmic pop of balls hitting mitts around him. In the distance, the faint hum of traffic reminded him he was still in the minors, but the diamond beneath his cleats felt just as sacred as any major league stage. He wound up, his motion smooth and practiced, releasing a fastball that snapped into the catcher's mitt with authority. This was the quiet work of building a legacy, one pitch at a time.

Reader's Guide

Andrew Abbott is a left-handed pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. He made his MLB debut in 2023 and was named to the 2025 All-Star Game. He is currently in the major leagues.

Did You Know?

• Abbott is the only left-hander in the Modern Era to pitch at least 6 scoreless innings with at least 6 strikeouts and no more than one hit allowed in an MLB debut.
• He became the first MLB pitcher since 1893 to hurl three scoreless starts of at least five innings to begin his career.
• Abbott graduated from college in three years with a degree in biology.
• He became engaged to Lindsay Stone, a Cincinnati native and TV anchor for WLWT 5.