Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds, Rank #75

Our consensus rankings for Andrew Abbott list him as the 75th ranked starting pitcher. When I look at the individual ranking sheets, Bob Kelly and I were highest on him (40), a couple others were in the 40 – 55 range, there were a couple ranking him around mid-70s, and a few others had him ranked out of their top 100. I’m not sure if other rankers were worried about injury risk or his strikeout rate, but I’m taking the opportunity to target Abbott wherever I can. In all honesty, that’s not too many places because I’bve been high on him since 2023 and he’s already on many of my rosters. 

Abbott returned from a serious shoulder injury suffered in 2024. After a late start in 2025, he pitched 166 innings with a 2.87 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Pitching in the Great American Ballpark, he actually posted a much better ERA at home (2.39) than away (3.43). His strikeout rates, which were over 30% in the minor leagues and 26% in 2023, his last full healthy season, dropped to 19% in 2024 before he went on the IL, and only rebounded to 21.8% last year. Yet, as noted above, he had low WHIP and ERA due to excellent command that induced ground balls and weak fly balls. I think as he pitches with more confidence in his shoulder that the strikeouts return, and if you squint just right, you might see a younger version of Logan Webb, just sayin’. And along with Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns, and Chase Petty, we’re on the verge of seeing some pretty fun pitching staffs in the Queen City.

Prospect: Khal Stephen, Cleveland Guardians, Prospect Rank #44

The prospect pitcher I’ve targeted in all my leagues is Khal Stephen. He was part of a classic “present for future” trade when Toronto traded him to Cleveland for Shane Bieber. It brings back memories of the Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz trade in 1987. Khal Stephen is no John Smolta, but neither was Shane Bieber the second coming of Doyle Alexander, who went 9 – 0 after the trade as the Tigers pulled ahead of the Jays on the last weekend of the season, but I digress.

In 2024, the Blue Jays drafted Stephen out of Mississippi State in the second round. In his final year of college, he posted 10K/9 and 2 BB/9.  He made his professional debut in 2025 at Single-A Dunedin, and in eight games he posted a 2.06 ERA, 31.4% K-rate, and 4.6% BB-rate. That earned him a promotion to High-A Vancouver, where he continued to excel with a 1.49 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 26% K-rate. He was named Northwest League Pitcher of the Month for June (for players in the Northwest League, not players named Northwest*). 

Here’s what you need to know that may help you acquire Stephen in a trade. After one start in Double-A New Hampshire, he was shut down with a shoulder impingement injury then traded to Cleveland. He returned to action in late August and posted a 6.35 ERA in four appearances. However, his second appearance lasted only 0.1 inning, in which he faced seven batters and surrendered six hits and six runs. The combined total of his other three appearances was 11 innings, two earned runs, 1.64 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 11K/2BB. He won’t be in Double-A Akron too long this year, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him pitching on the shores of Lake Erie before the year is out. Act now before the rest of the managers in your league clue in. 

*Listeners of the Join the Ranks Episode 81 are laughing heartily at that joke.