Former TCU pitcher Nick Lodolo will make his Major League debut this afternoon for the Cincinnati Reds against the Cleveland Guardians.
After being drafted No. 7 overall in the 2019 MLB draft, Lodolo spent last year split between Double-A team Chatanooga and Triple-A team Louisville where he pitched a combined 2.31 ERA with an impressive 38.8% strikeout rate. Of course, by now he’d be expected to have two years of experience under his belt, but there was no minor league baseball season in 2020 which makes this quick promotion even more impressive.
The majority of prospects spend an average of 3-6 years in the minor league system before getting the call up to the big leagues, but Lodolo earned the promotion after just one full season of pitching.