Abbott said. “Let’s go get it.”
The 2025 All-Star will take the ball in a few weeks for the season opener against the Boston Red Sox.
“I don’t take anything for granted,” Abbott said. “I’m honored to represent Cincinnati on that day. Having the chance with all the talent we have on this team means a lot to me. Any one of those guys deserves it. I’m excited to take the ball and give it my all.”
Last year, Abbott posted a 2.87 ERA and finished eighth in NL Cy Young voting. In 75 career big league starts, he has a 3.42 ERA.
The only hiccup in his season was the fact that he was on the injured list for the first two weeks of the season.
His 2024 season ended with a shoulder injury that Abbott had to manage during the offseason. As a result, he wasn’t ready to be on the roster for Opening Day.
Abbott says his biggest goals for this year are to throw more innings and make every start. Considering that the only time he missed was at the start of the season last year, he’s already trending where he wants to be in 2026 as he anticipates taking the ball for the first game of the season.
He expects pitching on Opening Day to be a unique experience.
“You definitely have to enjoy it a bit,” Abbott said. “You can’t get too involved into and can’t let the emotions overtake you. You have to execute. But I’m going to take it in.”
Abbott doesn’t light up the radar gun or strike out the world. His teammates have been very impressed watching his old school style click in such a significant way.
“He’s good, man,” Nick Lodolo said. “He’s consistent. He just pitches. There’s nothing really crazy to it. He’s good across the board. It’s old school. A guy who pitches, has good stuff and knows how to use it.”
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