Hamilton, Ohio As the 2024 season draws near, Reds right-handed pitching prospect Chase Petty is thrilled to no longer have extra-restricted pitch or inning limitations.
During a Reds Caravan stop in Hamilton, Petty exclaimed, “I should be ready to go, no leash applied.”
Petty, who the Reds are cautious with as he recovers from a right elbow strain suffered at the end of 2022, missed the opening month of the previous season. Petty is listed as the organization’s sixth-best prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Petty pitched four innings practically every time he began for High-A Dayton last season after fully recovering. If he hit his pitch limit on the others, they were shorter.
“I knew I had to make the most of it, and that’s what I tried to do,” he stated.
Petty pitched for Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga, recording a 1.72 ERA in 18 games and 68 innings with 66 strikeouts. He struck out 8.7 batters per nine innings as a result.
Chase Petty reflects on 2023
“To be honest, given the circumstances, I couldn’t be happier,” Petty, who turns 21 on April 4, stated. “I think I demonstrated my abilities, even in a brief period of time. I’m just glad that everything went smoothly, that I’m in good health, and that I’m prepared for this year.
Before being promoted to Chattanooga near the end of the season, Petty made sixteen of his eighteen starts with Dayton. The organization’s vice president of player development for the previous five seasons, Shawn Pender, believed the Reds handled Petty last year with diligence.
“If you look at what he did in his limited time — a lot of strikeouts, command and control,” Pender, who is currently Nick Krall’s head of baseball operations, said. “He needs to keep honing his backup weapons and attacking strategy for left-handed striking. He’s in the Double-A division. Given all that he has endured, that speaks highly of him.”
Petty was selected by the Twins with the 26th overall choice in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Linwood, New Jersey’s high school. He was acquired by Cincinnati on March 13, 2022, via a trade with Minnesota for starting pitcher Sonny Gray.
Petty learned how to create a changeup from fellow Minor League pitcher Alex Johnson while he was in Single-A Daytona following the trade. He has a good slider as well.
Chase Petty’s strikeout
“I was really taught the [changeup] grip by him. Since then, it’s just really worked, so I took it and ran with it. One of my better throws from the previous year, in fact,” Petty remarked. “I could throw those really good pitches at any time and count, and they just worked really well.”
Petty’s powerful arm is still rather useful. Pender stated he has heard from people believe his four-seam fastball can reach 98–99 mph. Petty could reach triple digits when scouted in high school.
“He’ll still be on an innings limit like everybody else, but there’s not going to be a collar on him other than what we really want him to work through in his innings,” Pender stated.
Petty has strength despite being smaller in stature than many other power pitchers in the game. The Reds generously classify him at 6-foot-1, which makes him appealing to other pitchers of a similar stature.
Marcus Stroman, who recently inked a two-year, $37 million deal with the Yankees, is Petty’s favorite Major League pitcher. Petty’s love for Stroman is so great that he recently got a tattoo of the musician’s picture done on his leg.
Chase Petty’s seventh strikeout
“Height doesn’t measure heart,” which is Stroman’s motto, is also inked on the still-healing tattoo.
It’s kind of stayed with me all my life. Petty remarked, “I’m not the biggest guy.” “My biggest concern heading into the Draft was if I would be an undersized reliever. All I wanted to do was squash that as much as I could. I was motivated to accomplish that by him. Although we don’t really meet in person, we communicate frequently over the phone. He was my childhood hero.
Petty, a non-roster invitee, will be attending big league camp for the first time at Reds Spring Training.