Carson Spiers defying the odds with MLB’s Cincinnati Reds

All things considered, former Clemson pitcher Carson Spiers is putting together a pretty incredible season on the mound for the Cincinnati Reds.

At the All-Star break, the right-hander is 3-2 with a 3.83 ERA in 10 appearances over 47 innings. He made five straight starts beginning on June 17 when he entered the Reds’ rotation and threw six innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates opposite rookie sensation Paul Skenes.

Spiers made his final start of the first half in the Reds’ 7-4 victory over the Miami Marlins at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park last Friday. He picked up the win by holding the Marlins to three runs in five innings of work.

Spiers struck out the first six batters he faced en route to a career-high nine-strikeout performance without allowing a walk. A day later, he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder impingement. The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans reported that Spiers received a clean MRI and that he should only miss one start because of the All-Star break.

Since entering the Reds’ rotation, Spiers has thrown five innings or more in four of his five starts — including a string of three straight appearances with six innings pitched.

His best outing to date came in a 9-4 Cincinnati win against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 29 at Busch Stadium. In that game, Spiers allowed one earned run on three hits and a walk while striking out four batters over six innings.

Becoming a starter was a new terrain for the Greenville native when he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Reds in 2020. Spiers made 71 appearances in four seasons at Clemson, all in relief. He threw 109 1/3 innings with the Tigers and had a 2.47 ERA.

After the Reds assigned Spiers to their Class A affiliate in 2021, he went on to start 20 games that year and has worked his way up through the Reds’ organizational depth chart as a starter since then.

Only thing is, Spiers isn’t supposed to be in the big leagues. He was recalled by the major league club and optioned back to Triple A Louisville twice this season before landing a more steady spot on the roster due to injuries to the Reds’ staff — and Spiers’ own effectiveness.

The Cincinnati Enquirer ‘s Charlie Goldsmith recently detailed Spiers’ unexpected success. He quipped that Spiers and rookie teammate Rece Hinds might be “in the process of Wally Pipp-ing some of their teammates as they move their way up the depth chart.”

Spiers is still a long way from having an All-Star caliber season like those gathered in Arlington, Texas, for this year’s Midsummer Classic. But there’s no question that Spiers has shown progression in his second major league season. He made his big league debut in 2023, pitching 13 innings in four appearances. Spiers had a 6.92 ERA with 12 strikeouts and seven walks last year.

A strong second half would go a long way in determining whether Spiers can establish himself as a potential longterm big league starter.

The Reds open the second half against the Washington Nationals in D.C. Friday. The team enters the All-Star break at 47-50, fourth in the National League Central. They’re currently eight games behind first-place Milwaukee and three games back in the race for a Wild Card spot.

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