Much touted Cincinnati Reds youngster Hunter Greene will make his MLB debut against the Atlanta Braves, will the surrounding buzz prove true?
Hunter Greene will make his MLB debut on the mound for the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, April 10, against the Atlanta Braves. Greene was the first overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.
Welcome to The Show, Hunter Greene!
The Reds' 2017 first-round pick and current No. 1 prospect is scheduled to start and make his major league debut Sunday, April 10 in Atlanta. https://t.co/6yllTK9lZw
"The Reds' 2017 first-round pick and current No. 1 prospect is scheduled to start and make his major league debut Sunday, April 10 in Atlanta." - @ Cincinnatti Reds
Hunter Greene is a top prospect in the minor leagues and has been expected to make a big impact for a long time now.
Greene could be a generational talent. He has been a baseball prodigy for a long time. He was trained at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California, and won a gold medal for the 18U United States National Baseball Team.
Hunter Greene went to Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles and dominated his opponents as a pitcher and shortstop. He finished his high school career with a 1.62 ERA and a .324 batting average. He was one of the top high school players in the country and could throw 102 miles per hour in his senior year.
Greene was recruited by the UCLA Bruins and commited to play for them. However, he never appeared in a UCLA uniform and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the first overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft.
Greene struggled in the minor leagues. Even the best prospects take a couple years to make the major leagues, but it has taken Hunter Greene longer than expected to make his debut.
Hunter Greene was assigned to the Billings Mustangs in the Rookie League after being drafted. His time in Billings was short and he only pitched 4.1 innings in three appearances.
Reds announce that top prospect Hunter Greene and his 102 MPH fastball will make their MLB debut on April 10 🔥
(h/t @PitchingNinja) https://t.co/MEV49JH5ki
"Reds announce that top prospect Hunter Greene and his 102 MPH fastball will make their MLB debut on April 10" - @ B/R Walk-off
Greene was assigned to the Class A Dayton Dragons to start the 2018 season. He played well at times but finished with a 3-7 record and a 4.48 ERA before suffering a sprained UCL in his pitching elbow.
Greene planned to play in 2019 but underwent Tommy John surgery after damaging his UCL again. He missed the 2019 season, and the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even though Hunter Greene had not played in over two seasons, he was assigned to the Class AA Chattanooga Lookouts in 2021. He started to show some dominance there and had a 5-0 record in seven starts before being promoted to the Class AAA Louisville Bats.
Greene did not perform as well in Louisville but did well enough to get called up to the Reds this season.
Greene is facing a lot of high expectations, but it is nothing he has not seen before. He will begin the season as the Reds fourth starting pitcher.