Former KC Royals pitcher has historic debut with Cincinnati Reds

When the Kansas City Royals moved on from starting pitcher Brady Singer this past offseason, it was a bittersweet move. They traded one of the franchise's most constant starters this century, but impending free agency and Kansas City's more pressing needs elsewhere made it a sensible decision.

Singer made his debut with his new team on Monday, and the Florida product made quite an impression on Cincinnati Reds fans.

The KC Royals shouldn't regret trading away Brady Singer ... yet

Singer made his first appearance at Great American Ball Park, facing off against the AL West's Texas Rangers. Texas had the Reds' number last year, winning the season series against Cincinnati. But Singer tried to ensure that didn't repeat in 2025, tossing seven innings of shutout baseball while allowing only one hit and striking out eight Rangers.

That performance helped power a crushing 14-3 victory over the visitors, but it was also historic for the franchise. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Singer is the first Cincinnati pitcher since at least 1900 to record a start of at least seven scoreless innings with no more than one hit allowed in his team debut. The last Reds pitcher to throw seven scoreless innings period in his debut was Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner Tom Seaver.

The 28-year-old has struggled against Texas in the past, posting a 5.18 ERA and an 0-3 record in five previous starts against the Rangers. However, Singer looked great in his season debut last year as well, tossing seven shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins on March 31, 2024, with 10 strikeouts and only three hits allowed. Despite his impressive showing, Singer passed off his first start in a Reds uniform to his teammates.

“The offense was incredible. Elly is really good at baseball," Singer said. "It makes my life a lot easier when they score 14. It took the pressure off, and they were tremendous tonight.”

To refresh the memories of Royals fans, Singer was traded to the Reds in exchange for utilityman Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Wiemer on November 22. The trade was a win-win on paper for both franchises, with each addressing glaring weaknesses from the previous season. While Singer looked good in his debut, India has also impressed as Kansas City's leadoff man. The fellow Florida alum is slashing .375/.474/.375 through four games, and his four runs scored prove how desperately Kansas City needed a proper leadoff man in front of shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.

The Royals are currently visiting Cincinnati's division rival and defending NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers for a three-game set. The Royals evened up their season record at 2-2 thanks to an 11-1 blowout win in Milwaukee's home opener. India made his presence known in that game as well, scoring two runs after a three-hit game with two RBI.

While Singer's debut was historic, Royals fans shouldn't panic about losing this trade with the Reds anytime soon. It's nice to see he's succeeding elsewhere and that the early returns on the deal are helping everybody.