Reid Detmers

Early life

Reid Kristien Detmers came into the world on July 8, 1999, in Nokomis, Illinois, born to Kris and Erica Detmers. His father, Kris, pitched in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system for several years and was with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds when Reid was born. Growing up, Reid was surrounded by baseball, amassing a collection of signed balls from his father's minor league teammates. He rooted for the Cardinals as a kid, pointing to David Freese's heroics in the 2011 World Series as a key moment that shaped his fandom.

Detmers started his high school career at Nokomis High School, where he joined the varsity squad as a freshman and earned All-Prairie State Conference recognition each of his three seasons. Before his junior year, he committed to the University of Louisville, turning down offers from Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. That junior season, he posted an 8-1 record with a 1.16 ERA and 117 strikeouts, earning first-team All-State honors.

After the season, his mother took a new job, prompting the family to relocate to Chatham, Illinois. Detmers transferred to Glenwood High School for his senior year, where he went 9-1 with a 0.84 ERA and 153 strikeouts. He again made first-team All-State and was named a Medium School All-American by MaxPreps. The Atlanta Braves selected him in the 32nd round of the 2017 MLB draft, but he chose not to sign.

College career

After turning down a late-round draft pick in 2017, Reid Detmers stuck with his plan to pitch for the Louisville Cardinals. His freshman season saw him post a 4-2 record with a 4.85 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 55 2/3 innings. That summer, he joined the Brewster Whitecaps in the Cape Cod League to work on his mechanics, going 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA and 29 strikeouts in seven games, earning East Division MVP honors at the All-Star Game. As a sophomore, Detmers became Louisville’s Friday night starter.

He finished the year with a 2.78 ERA and 167 strikeouts across 113 1/3 innings, tying the school’s single-season wins record at 13 against four losses. His performance earned him ACC Pitcher of the Year, first-team All-ACC, and first-team All-American nods from both the American Baseball Coaches Association and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. In 2019, he was selected for the U.S. collegiate national team. Heading into his junior season, Detmers landed on the Golden Spikes Award watch list and was considered a top prospect for the 2020 MLB draft.

Before the coronavirus pandemic cut the season short, he went 4-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 22 innings, earning first-team All-American recognition from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Professional career

The Angels made Reid Detmers their first-round pick, taking him 10th overall in the 2020 MLB draft. He inked a deal with the club on June 28, securing a $4.67 million signing bonus. Detmers began the 2021 minor league season with the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas. That June, he earned a spot in the All-Star Futures Game.

After putting up a 3.50 ERA, 97 strikeouts, and just 18 walks over 54 innings for the Trash Pandas, he moved up to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. In his lone start for the Bees on July 24, he tossed six scoreless frames, surrendering only three hits and fanning nine in a 6-0 win over Las Vegas. On August 1, 2021, the Angels called up Detmers for his major league debut against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium. Facing his first three batters, he got Mark Canha out, walked Starling Marte, and struck out Matt Olson.

Ramón Laureano singled for the first hit off him in the second inning. Detmers left the game after 4 1/3 innings, having allowed six runs and struck out two.

He notched his first career win on August 15, 2021, working six innings against the Houston Astros while giving up one earned run and striking out six. That season, he was the fifth-youngest player to appear in an American League game. Detmers wrapped up his short 2021 campaign with a 1-3 record, a 7.40 ERA, and 19 strikeouts across five starts.