Brandon Williamson is reportedly in the mix for a spot in the Cincinnati Reds’ Opening Day rotation.
The Martin County West graduate is turning heads at spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. and is considered the most likely prospect to make the Reds’ Opening Day roster. Williamson is in that position because of the way his approach has changed over the last year.
“The way I go about it is different,” Williamson told Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Now, instead of trying to throw an insane slider and trying to make them swing and miss, I’m trying to throw a good slider nine out of 10 times. That’s rather than throwing three out of 10 sliders that aren’t my best.”
Williamson was the centerpiece of a trade the Reds made with the Seattle Mariners.
Cincinnati went all-in with its rebuild before the start of the 2022 season because of how much they valued a return headlined by the 24-year-old left-handed starting pitcher.
One year later, after learning valuable lessons from the toughest year of his baseball career, Williamson is competing for a spot in the rotation.
When Williamson joined the Reds last March, his game was all about strikeouts, Goldsmith wrote.
In 2021, he was the best starting pitcher in all of the Minor Leagues at striking out batters consistently. He changed speeds as well as anyone with a slow, looping slider that got big swings and misses.
Williamson mixed that pitch with a fastball that appeared to rise in the strike zone and a changeup that drops at the last second.
“In 2021, his heater was a top-5 heater in the world,” said Reds assistant pitching coach Alon Leichman, who also coached Williamson in the Mariners’ farm system in 2021. “It was like, here it is. Then couple that with a changeup that’s absolutely gross. The more experience he has, the more he understands how to pitch and how effective he is in the zone. He doesn’t have to be too cute.”
Between High-A and Double-A in 2021, Williamson posted a 3.39 ERA and became a top-100 prospect in baseball. Then in 2022, Williamson lost some of that momentum. After showing some command issues in spring training, the Reds sent Williamson back to Double-A. In 2021, Williamson walked only 23 batters in 67 1/3 innings at that level. In Double-A in 2022, he walked 40 batters in 67 1/3 innings.
“He throws it with good intensity,” Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson said. “He has a different look than a lot of lefthanders, or really anyone. Certainly he’s in our thoughts for this season.”
The hot topic at Reds spring training so far has been the pitching prospects reporting to camp in great shape. Last year, these young pitchers looked further away from making their MLB debuts. This year, they look stronger and more mature.
Williamson has made the biggest jump. On Saturday, he threw live batting practice against Jose Barrerro, Spencer Steer and Chad Pinder. Steer said, “geez,” after seeing Williamson’s fastball for the first time. He got batters to flail at his changeup and used a new cutter to force weak ground balls.
Williamson was putting too much pressure on every pitch. He spent the second half of the year in 2022 in Triple-A with the Louisville Bats, where he had a 4.07 ERA, but Williamson fell off most top-100 prospect lists.
“Last year was pretty average to poor,” Williamson said. “Last year, I was more trying to make guys miss. Now, let them hit it. If they miss, great. I flipped thought processes on that. I still think I have really good stuff. If I just throw it in the zone, that’s what you’ve got to do.”
The biggest lesson that Williamson learned was about managing his routine between starts. He changed his workout program to strengthen his left shoulder.
“Last year, I’d do the same thing every day,” Williamson said. “It was pretty light. Not enough. It wasn’t very good. Now I have a very structured shoulder program to go off of. A structured shoulder program that goes up and down based on when I’m throwing. Last year, I had to work a lot harder in season to figure out how to manage my shoulder and my body in between starts. That rolling through the end of the season and a great offseason is the biggest difference.”
His fastball velocity is up, and he was in full command against MLB hitters during Saturday’s live batting practice.
“He has a really good feel for all of his pitches,” Reds catcher Luke Maile said. “He threw a few changeups that were outstanding. He’s moving his fastball around really well. He has such a clean delivery.”
With two open spots in the rotation, Williamson is competing with Luis Cessa, Luke Weaver, Justin Dunn, Connor Overton, prospect Levi Stoudt and non-roster invitees Kevin Herget and Ben Lively. Last year, the Reds broke camp with two rookies in the starting rotation. Reds manager David Bell said the plan is to break camp with the 13 best pitchers, and Cessa and Weaver’s experience in the bullpen gives the Reds the ability to slide a prospect like Williamson into the rotation.
Just like Williamson isn’t putting as much pressure on every slider, he isn’t putting too much thought into this roster battle. After watching Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo win spots in the rotation last spring, Williamson is ready for his opportunity.
“I just have to be myself and enjoy the game,” Williamson said. “If I’m enjoying it and I don’t put all this stress on myself to make the rotation, or to strike guys out at an insane rate to make the rotation, that’s not what I need to do. I just need to be Brandon Williamson. After that, if I make it, I make it.”
Pitchers and catchers reported on Wednesday. The first full squad workout is Monday. The first Spring Training game is Saturday vs. the Cleveland Guardians.
Brandon Williamson jerseys are on sale in the Reds Apparel Shop: