Rhett Lowder, Cincinnati's first 2023 draft pick, Ks five in four innings in Dayton debut

Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect and 2023 first-round draft pick Rhett Lowder looked sharp in his professional debut Friday night for the High-A Dayton Dragons.

Lowder pitched four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and walking one while striking out five. Of his 65 pitches, 45 were strikes.

In January, Lowder debuted in MLB Pipeline's top 100, at No. 34.

"He might be the most polished pitcher on this entire list," MLB Pipeline analyst Jim Callis said of Lowder, adding that he wouldn't be surprised if Lowder reached the big leagues before (Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher) Paul Skenes, the first overall pick in 2023.

Lowder was the 7th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft.

Lowder, a former Wake Forest standout, and Ethan O'Donnell, a former Virginia standout, were both named all-ACC first-teamers last year. O'Donnell impressed last season for the Low-A Daytona Tortugas, while the Reds waited until this year for Lowder to pitch in a minor-league game.

Both Lowder and O'Donnell debuted for the Dragons on Friday night in Dayton.

Later in the first round of last year's draft, the Reds selected LSU pitcher Ty Floyd. In March, the ACL Reds placed Floyd on the 60-day injured list.

So far, the only two 2023 first-rounders to make their MLB debuts are Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford (selected 4th overall) and Los Angeles Angels infielder Nolan Schanuel (11th overall).

Lowder also looked good in last month's MLB Spring Breakout game.

Against the Rangers, Lowder pitched two scoreless innings. Lowder's Dayton teammate, Cam Collier, also took part in the new showcase event for rising stars.

"I can have success in many different ways," Lowder said in March, per The Enquirer's Charlie Goldsmith. "Something I take pride in is filling every quadrant of the zone with multiple pitches. It's not easy to do. But when it's working, it's pretty good."

Lowder said he's prioritized using all four of his pitches and locating on both sides of the plate.

"Competitiveness, the pitchability and the stuff doesn't really get talked about as much as we feel like it should be," Reds amateur scouting director Joe Katuska said of Lowder when the Reds selected him in the draft, per Goldsmith. "He's not some soft-tosser out there. He's throwing 92-96 (mph) every time we saw him this spring with an above-average-to-plus slider and changeup."

Lowder made three spring appearances for the Reds, posting a 12.46 ERA while striking out five in 4 1/3 innings.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Rhett Lowder, top Cincinnati pitching prospect, debuts for Dayton