The Opening Day is coming. Baseball is officially back. On the first day of the 2023 season, Hunter Greene will make his first Opening Day start. Greene was the second overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft and he made it into the big leagues last April. On his first Opening Day start, there is something worth watching.
First of all, there were only 2 pitchers who threw 300+ pitches that touched at least 100 mph in the 2022 season. Jhoan Duran made 57 relief appearances for the Twins last season, posting a 1.86 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP over 67.2 innings. He was throwing really hard last and there were 392 times that he threw a pitch that reached 100 mph. Meanwhile, Hunter Greene made 24 starts for the Reds in 2022. Greene threw 2200 pitches last year and 337 of those pitches hit 100 mph.
In addition, let’s take a look at those 24 starts that Greene made in 2022. Among those 24 starts, there were 10 games in which he threw at least 10 pitches that reached 100 mph. In particular, on September 17, 2022, he used 81 pitches to complete 6 innings. Among those 81 pitches, 47 of them were with a velocity of at least 100 mph. He threw really hard that day and he punched out 11 batters.
Moreover, there’s one more thing that we should take a look at. Before the All-Star break, Greene made 18 starts and the results weren’t good. He owned a 5.78 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP over 90.1 innings. He gave up 40 walks and opponents smashed 23 home runs. However, after the All-Star break, he made 6 starts, posting a 1.02 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP. He did miss some playing due to injury. But, Greene actually pitched well in the second half of the 2022 season. He only gave up 8 walks and allowed 1 home run in 35.1 innings. Furthermore, opponents’ batting average against Greene was below .200 after the All-Star break. In particular, last September, he used his four-seam fastball more than 60% of the time and opponents’ batting average was only .140.
Very soon, Hunter Greene will take the mound and make his first Opening Day start. On his first start of the 2023 season, there are several things worth watching. Firstly, how many pitches will he throw on the first day of the season? Additionally, he’s one of the flamethrowers in the MLB. How many of those pitches will reach 100 mph? Thirdly, the Reds selected Greene with the second overall pick in the 2017 draft. After years of development in the minors, he made it into the big leagues last year. He didn’t have a great start at the beginning of his career. Nonetheless, his performance was pretty good in the second half of the 2022 season, will he replicate the great performance on the Opening Day? Perhaps, the 2023 season will be a good start to see Hunter Greene gradually become one of the most dominant pitchers in the majors. But, there’s always a key thing. He has to stay healthy.
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