Reid Detmers Bio
Reid Kristien Detmers is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on July 8, 1999, in Nokomis, Illinois, Detmers grew up around the sport and quickly emerged as one of the most promising left-handed arms of his draft class. After starring at the University of Louisville, he was selected tenth overall in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels and reached the majors in 2021. He gained national attention in 2022 when he threw a no-hitter as a rookie, becoming the youngest pitcher in Angels history to accomplish the feat.
Across his first five MLB seasons, Detmers has built a resume defined by high strikeout totals, sharp breaking stuff, and steady improvement after early-career adversity. He continues to play a central role in the Angels’ pitching staff as both a starter and a reliever.
Early Life and Background
Reid Kristien Detmers was born on July 8, 1999, in Nokomis, Illinois, to Kris and Erica Detmers. His father, Kris Detmers, pitched for seven years in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization and topped out at Triple-A with the Memphis Redbirds before retiring from playing at age 26. Growing up, Reid collected signed baseballs from players his father had been teammates with in the minor leagues, and he developed an early fandom of the Cardinals. He has cited David Freese’s performance in the 2011 World Series as a formative moment in his love for the game.
Detmers originally attended Nokomis High School, where he made the varsity baseball team as a freshman and earned All-Prairie State Conference honors three times. Following his junior season, his family moved to Chatham, Illinois, after his mother started a new job, and he transferred to Glenwood High School for his senior year. As a senior, Detmers went 9–1 with a 0.84 earned run average (ERA) and 153 strikeouts, earned first-team All-State recognition, and was named a Medium School All-American by MaxPreps. He had been drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 32nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft but chose not to sign.
Path to Professional Baseball
Detmers honored his commitment to play college baseball at the University of Louisville, where he became the Cardinals’ Friday night starter by his sophomore season. He finished that year with a 2.78 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 113 and one-third innings, tied the school record for wins in a season with 13 against four losses, and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. He was also a first-team All-American by both the American Baseball Coaches Association and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and in 2019 he represented the United States collegiate national team.
Entering his junior season in 2020, Detmers was on the Golden Spikes Award watch list and ranked among the top prospects for the MLB Draft. He went 4–0 with a 1.23 ERA before the season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, earning first-team All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The Los Angeles Angels selected him tenth overall in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft, and he signed with the club for a $4.67 million bonus on June 28, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
Reid Detmers Career
Early Career (2021)
Detmers began his professional career in the Angels’ farm system in 2021, opening the year with the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas. He posted a 3.50 ERA with 97 strikeouts against just 18 walks in 54 innings, was selected for the All-Star Futures Game, and earned a promotion to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. In his lone start for the Bees, on July 24, he allowed only three hits in six scoreless innings while striking out nine in a 6–0 victory over Las Vegas.
The Angels selected Detmers’ contract on August 1, 2021, and he made his MLB debut that night against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium. He finished his brief 2021 season with a 1–3 record, a 7.40 ERA, and 19 strikeouts across five starts, and was the fifth-youngest player to appear in an American League game that year.
Angels Rookie Breakthrough (2022)
During 2022 spring training, Angels manager Joe Maddon announced that Detmers had won the team’s fifth starting rotation spot over Jaime Barría. He made the Opening Day roster with his rookie eligibility intact and was bumped into the second game of the season when Patrick Sandoval missed his scheduled start. On May 10, 2022, Detmers pitched the 12th no-hitter in Angels history, recording two strikeouts and one walk against the Tampa Bay Rays in just his 11th major league start.
After struggling through his next six starts, Detmers was optioned to Salt Lake, where minor league pitching instructor Buddy Carlyle helped him correct a mechanical flaw during a 15-minute film session. Following his July 8 recall, Detmers posted a 1.13 ERA across four starts with 31 strikeouts in 24 innings. On July 31, he threw an immaculate inning against the Texas Rangers, joining Sandy Koufax and Mike Fiers as the only pitchers in MLB history to record both a no-hitter and an immaculate inning in the same season, and the only member of that group to do so as a rookie. He finished his rookie year at 7–6 with a 3.77 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 129 innings across 25 starts.
Establishing Himself in the Rotation (2023)
Detmers opened 2023 as the Angels’ fourth starter behind Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Sandoval, and free agent signee Tyler Anderson. He went 0–5 with a 5.15 ERA across his first 10 starts before earning his first win on June 8 against the Chicago Cubs. On June 20, he delivered seven shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, earning praise from manager Phil Nevin and from Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who said Detmers had pitched better than he did that night. He carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning at Texas on August 16 before surrendering a one-out single to Marcus Semien, and he finished 2023 at 4–10 with a 4.48 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 148 and two-thirds innings.
Bullpen Role and Return to Starting (2024–2025)
After Shohei Ohtani departed in the 2023–24 offseason, the Angels returned to a traditional five-man rotation, allowing Detmers to pitch on a more regular schedule. He was optioned to Salt Lake in early June 2024 and recalled in September after a dominant stretch in Triple-A. In 2025, Detmers worked primarily out of the bullpen, going 5–3 with a 3.96 ERA, three saves, and 80 strikeouts in 63 and two-thirds innings before left elbow inflammation landed him on the injured list in September and ended his season.
Return to the Starting Rotation (2026)
Detmers transitioned back into a starting role for Los Angeles in 2026. After giving up a career-high eight runs in five and two-thirds innings against the Athletics in his previous outing, he rebounded on May 24, 2026, by recording a career-high 14 strikeouts against the Texas Rangers. He pitched eight innings of one-run ball with no walks in a no-decision, reinforcing his strikeout upside and endurance as a starter.
Driving Style and Strengths
Detmers relies primarily on a four-seam fastball, which he has used nearly half the time across his first two major league seasons, supported by a slider, curveball, and changeup. As a prospect, MLB Pipeline graded his curveball at 60 and his fastball and control at 55 on the 20–80 scale. After refining his mechanics with the Angels’ coaching staff and again with Buddy Carlyle in 2022, his slider became a more consistent strikeout pitch and a key part of his identity on the mound.
Notable Events and Milestones
Detmers’ signature moment came on May 10, 2022, when he threw the 12th no-hitter in Angels history against the Tampa Bay Rays, becoming the youngest Angels pitcher ever to accomplish the feat. He later added an immaculate inning on July 31, 2022, joining Sandy Koufax and Mike Fiers in an exclusive club. In 2026, he set a new career high with 14 strikeouts in a single game against the Texas Rangers.
Reid Detmers Career Wins
Reid Kristien Detmers has compiled a growing list of milestones across the minor leagues and Major League Baseball. Through the 2025 season, his verified MLB win total stands at 16 combined victories, headlined by his standout rookie campaign and his continued contributions as both a starter and a reliever.
Major League Highlights
Detmers earned his first MLB win on August 15, 2021, pitching six innings with one earned run and striking out six batters against the Houston Astros. His most memorable victory came on May 10, 2022, when he no-hit the Tampa Bay Rays, and he added another signature win on August 16, 2023, at Globe Life Field, where he carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers and was credited with the victory.
Minor League and College Achievements
Detmers earned East Division MVP honors at the Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game after a freshman summer with the Brewster Whitecaps. He went undefeated at Louisville in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and was recognized as a first-team All-American. He also earned a win in his Triple-A debut with the Salt Lake Bees on July 24, 2021, allowing only three hits in six scoreless innings against Las Vegas.
Reid Detmers Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Reid Kristien Detmers comes from a baseball family rooted in the Midwest. His father, Kris Detmers, pitched for seven seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league system and reached Triple-A with the Memphis Redbirds before retiring from playing at age 26. His mother, Erica Detmers, supported the family’s relocation from Nokomis to Chatham, Illinois, which shaped Reid’s high school career.
Personal Life
Detmers grew up in the small community of Nokomis, Illinois, where he spent his formative years immersed in baseball culture. His father’s professional background in the Cardinals organization provided early exposure to the routines and discipline of professional pitching, influences that remain visible in Detmers’ preparation and work ethic today.
Reid Detmers 2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season saw Reid Kristien Detmers take on a new role as a primary member of the Angels’ bullpen. Pitching primarily in relief, he compiled a 5–3 record with a 3.96 ERA, three saves, and 80 strikeouts across 63 and two-thirds innings, providing the Angels with a reliable late-inning left-handed option.
Detmers’ season, however, ended earlier than expected. On September 11, 2025, he was placed on the injured list due to left elbow inflammation, and he was transferred to the 60-day injured list the following day, officially ending his year. The injury halted what had been a productive campaign and raised questions about his durability heading into 2026.
Despite the premature finish, Detmers’ 2025 showing gave the Angels confidence in his versatility, and the organization transitioned him back into a starting role for 2026. His bounce-back performance on May 24, 2026, against the Texas Rangers suggested that he had recovered both his health and his swing-and-miss stuff, offering a positive outlook for the seasons ahead.
