This is where Hunter Greene takes the next step as ace of the Cincinnati RedsThe home series vs. Minnesota is on the line, as are the playoffs.

The Cincinnati Reds’ 2023 season for Hunter Greene might be best described as “up and down.” He got hit around a lot in his first start of the year against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were just starting out, and he threw a bad game against Colorado at Coors Field in early May. He showed brilliance when he struck out 10 Atlanta Braves in late April, just days before signing a deal that could pay him up to $95 million over its lifetime to be the next face of the Reds franchise as a whole.

Later, he hurt his hip, which slowed him down and put him on the 60-day IL. After a rough return from that in August, he also went on the COVID IL. Even so, the rest of the Reds were able to put things together well enough to stay in the hunt for the National League playoffs, and Greene has helped them out in the last few games as well.

In his last 3 starts, he has only given up 3 earned runs (ER). In 17.0 IP, he has struck out 21 batters and walked only 6. In that time, players have only been able to get a.465 OPS off of him. He does this by mixing his great fastball with a slower breaking ball to throw them off.

Today, he’ll get to go up against the Minnesota Twins as the Reds desperately try to keep up with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs for the last two NL Wild Card places. By doing this, he’ll have the chance to prove that, at 24, he’s ready to lead this team to heights that didn’t seem possible at the start of the season.

What would you call a player like this? Well, you call a pitcher like that the ace of the staff. This patchwork team needs a winner like that right now.

Bailey Ober will start for the Twins in today’s series finale. He will have to get past Joey Votto, who is in the lineup again on what could be his last homestand as a Red in GABP.