Richardson earned his longest MLB look this past season. He made 34 appearances out of the bullpen for the Reds, pitching to a 4.54 ERA over 37 2/3 innings. Richardson posted a sub-par strikeout rate of 17.4% and an ugly walk rate of 12.2%. The young right back had a solid groundball rate of 53.8%, which helped him allow just two home runs despite his hitter-friendly home park.
Cincinnati selected Richardson in the second round of the 2018 draft. He routinely put up strong strikeout numbers as he worked his way up the minor league ladder. Richardson was among the Reds’ top 10 prospects several times MLB.comwith which he reached number 9 in 2021. He missed all of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Richardson compiled a 34.5% strikeout rate across three levels in 2023. He made his big league debut that season, but it was a disastrous first stint in the Majors. Richardson allowed 16 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings across four starts. The start of his career couldn’t have been worse, as he allowed home runs C.J. Abrams And Avenue Thomas on the first two pitches he threw a Reds uniform.
After working almost exclusively as a starter, Richardson filled a relief role this past season. He didn’t experience the typical velocity increase that pitchers transitioning to the bullpen often see, as his fastball dropped about 1 mph compared to 2023 and 2024. Richardson did make an arsenal adjustment as a reliever, pushing his changeup usage to 40.5%. He had used the field about 30% of the time in his first two MLB seasons.
The change resulted in a run value of -5, so the increased usage may not have been the best approach. Richardson also ditched his slider and focused on the curveball as his main breaking pitch last year. Finding a pitch mix that allows him to regain his strikeout prowess will be crucial if he wants to have another shot with the Reds.
Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
#Reds #appoint #Lyon #Richardson #assignment