Biography
Andrew Cole Abbott (born June 1, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.
Amateur career
Abbott attended Halifax County High School in South Boston, Virginia. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 36th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft, but did not sign and played college baseball at the University of Virginia. In 2018, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League. After four years at Virginia, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 2021 MLB draft and signed.
Professional career
Abbott spent his first professional season with the Arizona Complex League Reds and Daytona Tortugas. He started 2022 with the Dayton Dragons and was promoted to the Chattanooga Lookouts during the season. In 91 innings at Double-A (across 20 starts), he posted a 4.75 ERA with 119 strikeouts and 41 walks.
He was one of five Reds prospects invited to the team's 2023 spring training camp. Abbott began the year with Double-A Chattanooga, posting a 1.15 ERA across 3 starts before he promoted to the Triple-A Louisville Bats. In 7 starts for Louisville, Abbott logged a 3–0 record and 3.05 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 38+1⁄3 innings of work.
On June 4, 2023, the Reds announced that Abbott would be promoted to the major leagues for the first time to start against the Milwaukee Brewers the following day, after Hunter Greene had his start pushed back due to hip stiffness. Abbott made his major league debut on June 5 and threw 6 shutout innings versus the Brewers, striking out 6 batters and allowing only 1 hit, making him the only left-hander in the Modern Era to pitch at least 6 scoreless innings with at least 6 strikeouts and no more than one hit allowed in an MLB debut, and the first Reds pitcher to do so since 1893. On June 16, Abbott surrendered four hits over six scoreless innings versus the Houston Astros to become first MLB pitcher to hurl three scoreless starts of at least five innings since 1893 when the mound was moved to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches.
Personal life
Abbott is the son of David and Jeanette Abbott. He has two sisters. He graduated from college in three years with a degree in biology.