Rhett Lowder Just Did Something No Cincinnati Red Has Ever Done

A 24-year-old rookie just rewrote the Cincinnati Reds record book, and frankly, he barely realized how historic his performance was. Rhett Lowder threw six innings in a 2-0 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night in Arlington, and in doing so, he became the first Reds pitcher ever to post a 1.30 ERA through his first eight career starts since the earned run became official in 1913. That's over a century of Reds baseball, and Lowder has already eclipsed them all.

He's Pitching Like a Veteran, Not a Rookie

What makes this even wilder? Lowder has matched a feat only Fernando Valenzuela accomplished in the entire majors: five scoreless starts of at least five innings through his first eight career starts since 1900. Valenzuela did that for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 and went on to win both the National League Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year. When told about the comparison, Lowder's response was perfectly matter-of-fact: "Oh really? No, I didn't know that. That's pretty cool, but just want to keep going and keep winning."

Against the Rangers, Lowder held Texas to just three two-out singles, all coming in the first and second innings. Only one runner reached second base the entire night. He struck out four and retired 13 of the last 15 batters he faced. "Honestly, it was a grind," Lowder said after the game. "I feel like I never got into rhythm. ... I mean I'm happy with it for sure, but it wasn't easy."

A Comeback Kid Making His Mark

This is Lowder's second start of the season after missing all of last year with a right forearm strain and left oblique strain. The seventh overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 2023 draft made his big league debut in the final month of 2024, going 2-2 with a 1.17 ERA in six starts. He threw 54 of 82 pitches for strikes against Texas while working around two leadoff walks.

Reds manager Terry Francona has been impressed by how poised Lowder looks for a pitcher working through his first season back. "Just kind of pitches like a veteran," Francona said. "He's a pretty mature kid."

The Reds are back on the field soon, and with Lowder continuing to pitch like this, Cincinnati's early season hopes are getting brighter by the start.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.