Reds’ young pitchers embracing higher expectations
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Spring training is often a time of clichés. Players are in the best shapes of their lives. Every team believes it's beginning a path to a championship. Clubhouse chemistry is better than ever.
When Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft were asked about being the pitchers the Cincinnati Reds are building their rotation around, there were many oft-repeated lines they could've used.
Instead, they were honest about how they felt about it: They want the team built around them.
“We talk about it every day,” Greene said. “Something I love, last year (pitching coach Derek Johnson) got us together and brought up the Braves with (John) Smoltz, (Tom) Glavine and (Greg) Maddux. Looking at ourselves in that light ... is pretty special.”
Atlanta's three Hall of Famers are the gold standard for all modern rotations. Atlanta won 14 consecutive division titles and five National League pennants with them leading the way most seasons.
Cincinnati's "Big Three" came up through the minor leagues together and were some of the youngest starters in the league last year. Greene was the youngest at 22.
“Something we've just been rolling with is making sure we're always trying to include each other in everything, make sure we're trying to stay as a unit and stay together,” Ashcraft said. “One of the best ways to have success is make sure everybody is rooting for each other but also holding each other accountable.”
The three of them spent time together last month in Nashville, meeting with Johnson at Vanderbilt, where they all talked about what they were working on.
Greene was focused on developing a third pitch to pair with his 100-mph fastball and sharp slider. Lodolo was working on his changeup. The right-handed Ashcraft spent part of the winter developing his changeup and a splitter, but he scrapped that to focus more on refining his slider in order to strike out more lefty batters this year.
“Make sure it's consistent to where if the (velocity) is down or the (velocity) is up, the shape of the pitch is consistent and it's not like it was last year where it would be 82 mph and it would be big and sweepy,” Ashcraft said. “Then it would be 88-90 and it would be hard and sharp. We're just trying to find that good middle ground.”
In many ways, it is their team now. If these three take steps forward with their development, the state of the Reds' rebuild will look a lot better next winter.
“We have good friends all over the team, but us three are pretty close,” Lodolo said. “We definitely talk about it. It's no secret. It's good internal competition between us all. I know all three of us are pulling on the same side of the rope. I mean, that's true with everybody on the team, but it's really learning from each other.”