LHP Jacob Edwards acquired by Cincinnati Reds

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Left-handed pitcher Jacob Edwards, one of the mainstays of the High Point Rockers bullpen, has had his contract purchased by the Cincinnati Reds. He will report to the Reds spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona immediately.

“They don’t make a better person than Jacob,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “He’s one of a kind. I haven’t met many people who work as hard on and off the field at his pitching craft. It’s nice to see that his hard work has paid off and he’s getting another opportunity.”

Edwards, 24, made the Rockers’ Opening Day roster in 2024 and tied for the team lead with seven wins. He appeared in 42 games in 2024 and struck out 63 with just 19 walks in his 69.1 innings of work.

This season, Edwards is 2-1 in 11.2 innings of work with four walks and 11 strikeouts while yielding just seven hits.

Edwards attended Southwest Guilford High School where he shattered the school single season strikeout record with 132 and set a mark for wins with 12. He also hit .494 and was named the conference Pitcher of the Year while also earning all-state and all-area honors.

At UNC Asheville, Edwards was a first team All-Big South selection, going 8-3 with a 2.24 ERA in 88.1 innings. He finished among UNC Asheville’s all-time top 10 in innings, wins and strikeouts.

Undrafted out of UNC Asheville, he was with the Minnesota Twins organization in 2022 before joining the Rockers in 2024.

Edwards becomes the second pitcher to have his contract acquired by an MLB organization this year, joining RHP Peter Solomon who went to the Chicago Cubs. Now in its sixth year, High Point has had 41 player contracts transferred to MLB clubs or foreign leagues.