In June the Cincinnati Reds used their 19th round pick to select right-handed pitcher Tyler Garbee. He began his college career at Pittsburgh where he threw 33.0 innings over his freshman and sophomore seasons. Change was coming for Garbee, though, and he transferred to Mercyhurst for his junior season in 2018. He pitched very well there, too – posting a 2.52 ERA in 71.0 innings with 73 strikeouts and 32 walks. He went undrafted as a junior and returned for his senior season. While his ERA went up to 3.08, he pitched much better it would seem. He allowed 18 fewer hits and struck out 36 more batters while throwing two more innings.
To say that Tyler Garbee has carried that senior season forward into a professional career would be an understatement. While he was used as a starting pitcher at Mercyhurst, the Reds put Garbee into the bullpen for his first assignment with the Greeneville Reds. And that’s where he stayed for the first month of the season. He didn’t allow a single run in 17.0 innings and he allowed just 8 hits. Garbee only walked 3 batters, and he struck out 17 of the 59 hitters he faced.
On July 19th he allowed the first two runs of his season. He had been moved into the rotation and faced off against Elizabethton. In his first start since being drafted he threw 5.0 innings and allowed 4 hits – including the first home run of the season. But he also struck out a season high 8 batters and didn’t walk anyone. Last Thursday he took the mound against as a starter. This time Tyler Garbee threw 5.0 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits and 1 walks. And he racked up 9 strikeouts along the way.
The 22-year-old right-handed pitcher has now thrown 27.0 innings for the Greeneville Reds. He’s holding opposing hitters to a .161/.196/.247 line through 97 plate appearances. He’s allowed just 6 extra-base hits, no stolen bases (though where are the runners even coming from?), walked just 4 batters, and he’s struck out 34 of them.
Tyler Garbee’s got a starters background. And he’s got a starters repertoire. He’s got a good moving fastball, a change up, and a breaking ball. The results have been incredible thus far. Garbee has been an absolute steal in the draft, signed in the 19th round for $10,000, and he’s absolutely dominated the Appalachian League. What the future plans are with him as far as starter/reliever go, we’ll have to wait and see. But in both cases, the early results have been phenomenal.