You can add Brandon Williamson's application into the Cincinnati Reds' September job fair as the club hopes the final four weeks of a disappointing season offers a glimpse into what the 2027 roster will look like.
For Williamson, who reached a tendered contract for $770,000 last offseason, his outing on Wednesday, Sept. 2 was about more than just getting back on a major-league mound. It was his first September audition to show the Reds what they might have in 2027.
Williamson hadn't pitched since April 29, when shoulder fatigue put him on the 60-day injured list. He had already missed the entire 2025 season following Tommy John surgery.
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Wednesday's outing against San Diego was only Williamson's seventh start over the last two years. It also came at the beginning of what manager Terry Francona called an "important month" for Williamson, though he later clarified that it's a "big month for everybody."
"I think you're always trying to look at that (2027)," Francona said pregame Sept. 2. "Guys still have to show up and pitch, play and compete and things like that."
Williamson certainly did that in a gutsy 87-pitch effort in his (short-lived) return to the Reds' rotation. An early wall-scraping two-run homer in the first inning and some trouble in the second put Cincinnati in a 3-0 hole. Williamson settled in and delivered 5 ⅓ innings with a season-high five strikeouts as the offense rallied for a7-3 victory and a series win over the playoff contending Padres.
"I felt good, pretty much from the jump," Williamson said. "Early on, I was just kind of throwing. I was just trying to throw good stuff in the zone, and I did that. They’re a good team and took advantage. As the game went on, I started pitching more ball-to-strike pitches and executed a little better on some hitters.”
Francona particularly liked Williamson's mix of pitches, which included 34 cutters, 25 changeups and 13 breaking balls (sweeper/curveball). Williamson threw 58 strikes, producing 15 swings on pitches out of the zone, according to StatCast.
"He's been down, he's missed time," Francona said. "I think he's got a chance to be really good. That's what we're shooting for."
For Williamson, who returned to the Reds and got a win on his daughter's birthday, the bigger victory was feeling like a major-leaguer again.
"Any time you pitch in the big leagues, it's a big deal," he said. "There might be a little extra sense of urgency just because I haven't played, but I feel pretty good. I feel pretty confident about what I can do."
That confidence has taken some time to rebuild. He specifically credited several people who helped him through the process, including his family and Reds Director of Rehab and Physical Therapy Eric Gonzalez.
But the biggest takeaway is that Williamson feels ready for the September challenge. His September audition won't be against other expanded rosters that are trying to find minor leaguers work in The Show. He'll be facing some of the best lineups in baseball as the Reds end the year against a gauntlet that includes the Dodgers, Brewers, Cubs and Braves.
Williamson will also have to do it out of the bullpen − which he's done once at the big-league level (Sept. 6, 2024, against the Mets) − as he'll piggyback off Chase Burns' starts down the stretch in an attempt to manage the All-Star's inning.
"The schedule is the schedule. The arm feels good, I feel good about where I'm at with my pitches," Williamson said. "I don't feel like I'm done. I don't feel like getting back is enough to scratch the itch or feel like it's over."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Can Brandon Williamson pitch his way into Cincinnati Reds' 2027 plans?
