Wake Forest Stars Continue to Shine as Sean Sullivan Reaches the Majors

With the conclusion of the NBA and NHL seasons, the collective American sports mind has turned completely to Major League Baseball. (Yes, the FIFA World Cup is occupying a large portion of attention as well, but when it comes to "Big 4" sports in the United States, it's officially baseball's time to shine.) And even though Wake Forest's baseball season ended in disappointment, there are still some bright spots for the Demon Deacons at the professional level.

There are several Deacs in the big leagues that can be talked about ad nauseam. Chase Burns is one of the best pitchers in baseball, lighting up the radar gun and box score every single time he steps foot on the mound. Through 14 appearances and 80 2/3 innings of work, he's put up a 2.01 ERA with 95 strikeouts and just 26 walks.

Jun 15, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns (26) pitches against the New York Mets in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

When Burns departed Wake Forest, it wasn't hard to believe that one day he'd be a star. What is unbelievable is how quickly he's adapted to the bright lights of the show. It can sometimes take pitchers time to adjust once they make their debuts, but not Burns. He's fully established himself as a bona fide ace for the Cincinnati Reds.

There's also Nick Kurtz, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year and one of the most potent power hitters in the sport. After slugging 36 bombs during his inaugural campaign with the Athletics in 2025, Kurtz has come out of the gate firing on all cylinders once again. Pretty much every number on his Baseball Reference page pops off the screen. Eighteen homers. Fifty-seven RBIs. Sixty-seven walks! A slash line of .293/.443/.563. Yeah, he's one of the best hitters in the league, and perhaps the best hitter to ever come out of Winston-Salem.

Another Deac Makes It to the Show

Jun 12, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Sean Sullivan (45) throws the ball during the first inning against the Athletics at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

But neither of those two players is the primary reason why this is such a prudent topic. On June 12, the Colorado Rockies selected the contract of Sean Sullivan, a left-handed hurler who was drafted by the team in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest. After three years in the minors, he finally made his debut last Friday, throwing three innings against the Athletics. He didn't give up a run, allowed only two hits and struck out two in what was an impressive first outing in MLB.

Sullivan's debut continued a stretch of absolute dominance from Wake Forest's baseball program at the professional ranks. Eleven Demon Deacons have reached the big leagues over the last five years, a feat that shows that head coach Tom Walter and company are building something special in Winston-Salem.

"We are beyond pumped for Sean to make his debut and so very proud of him," Walter said. "This is a dream come true, and to do it in Las Vegas against Nick Kurtz is a full-circle moment for the Deacs!"

Kurtz went 1-for-2 against Sullivan, grounding out his first time up and then slashing a soft single to right field the next time.

The moral of the story is that baseball at Wake Forest is in a good spot. Sure, the team didn't reach its goal of Omaha this past season, but the development has been superb, and that's played out at the highest level of the sport.

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