The Reds traded Sonny Gray for 19-year-old Chase Petty in 2022. At the time of the deal, Reds fans weren't thrilled, but the Reds were very high of the young right-hander.
"He has a chance to be a high-end starting pitcher for a long time," Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall told Mark Sheldon in 2022. "We're really excited to have him. John Ceprini, our area scout in the Northeast, did a lot of work on him for the Draft. We thought we had a chance to get him with our comp pick [No. 30 overall] last year. We think he's got a chance to be a high-caliber Major League starter or reliever, and time will tell."
Petty spent the 2022 season with Low-A Daytona and High-A Dayton, pitching 98 1/3 innings across 20 starts with a 3.66 ERA. In 2023, Petty continued to improve, pitching to a 1.72 ERA across 18 starts with High-A Dayton and Low-A Chattanooga.
After a rough start to the season in 2024, Petty finished the year strong -- although his overall numbers may not show it. He made 15 starts for Double-A Chattanooga before making two starts with Triple-A Louisville to end the season. Petty had a 4.20 ERA over a career-high 137 innings.
"I didn't start off the way I planned. I struggled a little bit. But really cleaned up by the end of year, really finished off strong," Petty told Sheldon. "I did exactly what I wanted to in Triple-A. Hopefully I am able to start off strong this year and get the call early."
Petty has a chance to find his way on the big league squad at some point this year and that is what motivates him.
"Not trying to think too far ahead about it, but that is what's driving me," he said. "That's what's making me compete to my best ability every single day. If my name is called, I want to make sure that I am ready and that I am ready to stay."
ESPN recently ranked Petty as the No. 3 prospect in the Reds organization and the 76th overall.
Petty, still just 21, will look to continue to improve in 2025 in hopes of making his Major League debut in the near future.
Check out Sheldon's entire conversation with Petty here.
Make sure you bookmark Cincinnati Reds Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and daily coverage of the Cincinnati Reds!
You May Also Like:
Cincinnati Reds Release Tribute Video Honoring Pete Rose Following His Death
Pete Rose Shared POWERFUL Thoughts on Possible Hall of Fame Induction Before He Died
Cincinnati Reds Star Matt McLain is Healthy, to Play in Arizona Fall League
Report: Cincinnati Reds Rule Out Six Popular Managerial Candidates
Cincinnati Reds Expected to Target Two Candidates for Manager Job, Including Former Red
Cincinnati Reds Expected to "Aggressively Pursue" Trade for 3-Time All-Star This Offseason
Three Qualities the Next Cincinnati Reds Manager Must Have
Skip Schumaker Has Key Trait Cincinnati Reds Are Looking For in Next Manager
Nine Candidates to be Next Manager of the Cincinnati Reds Following David Bell Firing
Rhett Lowder Dazzles in Final Appearance of 2024, Wraps Up Impressive First Season
Marty Brennaman Weighs in on Reds Manager Search, Believes They Should Target World Series Champion Terry Francona
Cincinnati Reds Will Have to Compete With Multiple Teams to Land Skip Schumaker
Look: No. 2 Overall Pick Chase Burns in Cincinnati Reds Uniform for First Time
Watch: Nick Krall Discusses Reds' Decision to Fire Manager David Bell
Look: Cincinnati Reds 2025 Spring Training Schedule Released