Clemson Tigers Major League Pitcher Receives New Starter Ranking

The Major League career of former Clemson Tigers star Carson Spiers continues to pick up steam as the season reaches the final stretch.

Aug 20, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Carson Spiers (68) pitches to to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Carson Spiers, once a Clemson Tigers baseball star, is heading into the final month of his first full Major League season with the Cincinnati Reds.

He’s transitioned from a relief role to a starting role and, thanks to his improvement, the rookie is considered among a starting pitcher to watch in the game.

The Athletic recently ranked the Top 150 starting pitchers in baseball, an exercise it goes through at various times during the season.

Spiers received a ranking of No. 134, as he moved up five spots from his last ranking of No. 139.

The site used a number of stats, including Stuff+, future projections, strikeout-minus-walk rate, recent performances and the expected future schedule for the final month.

Entering the weekend Spiers, a right-hander, is 4-5 with a 5.13 ERA in 16 games (nine starts). He has 65 strikeouts and 17 walks in 73.2 innings.

Spiers was up-and-down between Cincinnati at Triple-A Louisville to start the season, before the Reds called him up for good on June 9.

At the time, he was considered a long reliever. But the Reds worked to stretch him out and he threw at least 50 pitches in three of his five relief appearances. That was never more apparent than a relief appearance upon his call-up that saw him throw 90 pitches.

He started his first game this season on June 17 and faced Pittsburgh phenom Paul Skenes in that contest. He took the loss but pitched well, throwing six innings. He claimed his first MLB win in the next start, also against Pittsburgh, as he gave up three earned runs in six innings.

He went 2-1 in his next three starts before he suffered a right shoulder impingement right at the start of the All-Star break. The Reds placed him on the 15-day injured list and he returned on time at the end of July.

He came right out of the gate with a win in his next start against the Chicago Cubs.

In August he’s made three starts and five total appearances and is 0-3 with a 9.14 ERA. He’s absorbed a beating lately, as he allowed 17 combined earned runs in two of his starts.

Still, he’s made huge improvement over his stint with the Reds last season. He appeared in four games, with two starts, going 0-1 with a 6.92 ERA. He struck out 12 and walked seven in 13 innings.

Spiers signed with the Reds as a free agent in 2020 when the MLB Draft was just five rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a standout career at Greenville (S.C.) high school in both football and baseball, Spiers committed to Clemson and played baseball for three seasons.

He emerged as the Tigers’ full-time closer in 2019 and finished his Tigers career with a 7-7 record with a 2.47 ERA, 19 saves and 103 strikeouts in 109.1 innings.