MIAMI — Brandon Williamson had just completed the best start of his big league career, throwing 6 ⅔ shutout innings in a win on Monday, April 6, 2026 over the Miami Marlins. As he reflected on his journey to this moment, one thing excited him the most.
He was going to get to pitch again in five days, and again five days after that.
This was only the beginning.
In 2023, Williamson made his big league debut as a highly-touted prospect and became the Reds’ most consistent pitcher as a rookie. In 2024, he barely pitched due to a shoulder injury. In 2025, he didn’t pitch due to an elbow injury.
Because Williamson is finally healthy, and even healthy than he was in 2023, he gets to show what he can really do for the first time in a Reds’ uniform.
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Miami.
Lynne Sladky – AP
“I was on attack mode,” Williamson said about his start on Monday. “I felt like physically and mentally, I was in a good place to play offense and say, ‘Here it is, try to hit it.’”
In 2023, Williamson was dealing with aches in his shoulder. He adjusted by pitching more to contact and using a cutter-slider combination to get ground outs. But he always knew that he had more strikeouts in him.
When he was a prospect, he was one of the best pitchers in the Minor Leagues at generating swing and miss. His shoulder issues prevented him from tapping into that in 2023 and 2024. Now that he’s fully healthy, he’s showcasing his real upside.
“Tonight was fun to watch,” Terry Francona said. “Willy had thrown the ball so well all spring. Then, he had a bit of a hiccup in his first start. He came out tonight and really pitched. And he had to.”
Due to how much time he had missed, Williamson entered spring training on the outside looking in of the roster bubble. The Reds opened camp with a ton of starting pitching depth, but that was whittled away due to injuries. But even before Hunter Greene (elbow) and Nick Lodolo (blister) landed on the injured list, the Reds were discussing ways to get Williamson on the roster.
Those injuries led to Williamson being the official No. 5 starter in the Reds’ rotation. An inexperienced and injury-riddled rotation is counting on him. The team needed him to be fantastic on Monday as the offense didn’t get much going. Williamson met the moment in a very meaningful start for him. The night ended with a 2-0 win for the Reds.
“He was nasty,” Sal Stewart said. “Our starting pitching is incredible. We’re very fortunate to have them. We have to score more runs so they can feel more comfortable.”
Williamson is still only 28 years old. While first-round picks Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder generate the most buzz, Williamson is also a dynamic young pitcher with impressive upside. He was just off the radar for a while due to injuries, but he’s back now.
The Reds are thrilled to have him.
“He looks great,” Lodolo said. “The stuff is really good. We all know Brandon knows how to pitch. When you combine those things, it can be something really special.”
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson (55) hand the ball to manager Terry Francona, left, after being relieved during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Miami.
Lynne Sladky – AP