Fact Check: Is Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott related to MLB Hall-of-Famer Jim Abbott?

Cincinnati Reds rookie pitcher Andrew Abbott has made headlines after a dominant start to life in the MLB. Abbott made his MLB debut on June 5 against the Milwaukee Brewers and pitched six shutout innings.

Since then, he has had three scoreless starts, with the latest coming against the defending champions Houston Astros.

As a result of his meteoric rise, there have been questions about whether he is related to former MLB pitcher and Hall of Famer, Jim Abbott. Many have assumed that the two are related because of their names and the timeline between the players' careers in MLB.

However, they are not related in any way and it is only a matter of coincidence that their family name is the same.

Jim Abbott is a former MLB pitcher who played the majority of his career in the 1990s. He was famous for being the only player in the major leagues who didn't have a right hand. He was born without a right hand but still managed to have a successful baseball career in the major leagues.

Jim Abbott is from Flint, Michigan, and is married to Dana Abbott. They have two daughters, Madeleine and Ella Abbott. In April 2012, Jim released an autobiography about his life called 'Imperfect: An Improbable Life' co-written with Tim Brown.

Andrew Abbott was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and went on to play baseball at the University of Virginia. After four years of college baseball, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Andrew Abbott lifts the Reds to victory over the Astros

Andrew Abbott has made a high-flying start to life in the MLB, to say the least. He became the first player in history to have a 0.00 ERA in the first three games of his career while pitching over five innings in each game.

His latest victims were the Houston Astros, in what was only the third major league start of his career. He pitched six innings, giving away four hits and no runs while getting two strikeouts.

The Cincinnati Reds seem to have got themselves a major talent who may be capable of reaching great heights in the future.