Carlson Reed
Carlson Reed
Position: RHP
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 200 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/R
Born: 11/27/2002
College: West Virginia University
How Acquired: Drafted 4th round, 104th Overall, 2023
Bonus: $597,500
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: 2026
Minor League Free Agency: 2028
Options Left: 3
Overview
Reed spent two years in college as a swing man, then moved strictly to relief as a junior. He pitched much better that last year and the consensus on him is that his control will limit him to the bullpen. As a junior he had a 2.61 ERA and 14.2 K/9, although he also had a 5.9 BB/9. He throws a sinker and four-seamer, both usually sitting at 92-93 mph but sometimes a little harder. The sinker gets a lot of ground balls. Reed’s best pitch is a sweeping slider that produces a lot of swings and misses. He also has a good change. Baseball America ranked him 180th among draft prospects and MLB Pipeline 196th. Reed signed for a little under the slot value of $646,900.
2023-24
After signing, Reed appeared in four FCL games totaling seven innings. He gave up seven hits and three walks, and struck out six. In 2024, he had a big season. He spent most of it in the Bradenton rotation. In the early going, he was held back some by walks and high pitch counts, as he didn’t find the strike zone consistently. He walked 17 over 25.2 IP in his first six starts, but opponents still didn’t do much against him, leaving him with a 1.75 ERA at that point. His control improved somewhat over his last 11 Marauders starts and he walked 25 in 52 innings. He finished at Bradenton with a 2.43 ERA, 4.9 BB/9 and 11.1 K/9. The Pirates moved Reed up to Greensboro for six starts and he dominated there, allowing just 11 hits and nine walks over 31 innings, with 34 strikeouts.
Stats
Transactions
July 10, 2023: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 4th round, 104th overall pick; signed on July 14.