There are other rookies who garner more attention than Vladimir Gutierrez, including a couple of his teammates.
It’s understandable. Gutierrez isn’t the flashiest pitcher. No upper-90s fastball. No jaw-dropping breaking ball. He didn’t show up at the top of the best prospects lists after signing with the Reds in 2017 out of Cuba.
What makes Gutierrez different is his fearlessness in the strike zone. He can command four pitches and he’s not afraid to challenge hitters.
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Everything that makes Gutierrez great was on display Sunday in arguably the best start of his career, leading the Reds to a 3-1 victory over the Miami Marlins to complete a four-game sweep at Great American Ball in front of a crowd of 17,797.