College Star Dazzles in Season Debut, Elicits Comparisons to Top MLB Pitchers

Wake Forest University standout Chase Burns started out his season in a big way on Saturday afternoon, eliciting some "stuff" that only a small handful of MLB players displayed in 2023.

Wake Forest University standout Chase Burns began his 2024 season in a big way on Saturday, throwing six shutout innings against Illinois. Burns, a University of Tennessee transfer, is one of the top draft prospects in the 2024 class and his season debut elicited some great comparisons between him and a limited number of top major leaguers.

Per Burke Granger of D1 Baseball:

Here's the 1st inning of Chase Burns' electric Wake Forest debut. Topped at 101, had three other hundos on my gun. 66% strikes. 20 whiffs. 

6IP, 3H, 0R, 1BB, 10K (W, 1-0). 

FB: 95-100 (97 ave) | 2367-2731 spin | 14 s/m 

SL: 85-91 (87 ave) | 2789-3010 spin | 6 s/m

CH: 89

Here's the 1st inning of Chase Burns' electric Wake Forest debut. Topped at 101, had three other hundos on my gun. 66% strikes. 20 whiffs.🔥⚡️

6IP, 3H, 0R, 1BB, 10K (W, 1-0).

FB: 95-100 (97 ave) | 2367-2731 spin | 14 s/m
SL: 85-91 (87 ave) | 2789-3010 spin | 6 s/m
CH: 89 pic.twitter.com/WDUtKDYzT6

— Burke Granger (@burkegranger) February 17, 2024

The "stuff" in discussion is the RPM rate and velocity on his slider, which was noted by Rob Friedman, aka "Pitching Ninja" on social media:

MLB Pitchers throwing 3000 RPM Sliders at over 91mph in 2023: 

Joe Kelly 11 

Matt Brash 8

Graham Ashcraft 2 

Corbin Burnes 1

MLB Pitchers throwing 3000 RPM Sliders at over 91mph in 2023:
Joe Kelly 11
Matt Brash 8
Graham Ashcraft 2
Corbin Burnes 1

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 18, 2024

Those are truly some of the top arms in all of baseball, so if Burns continues with those kind of metrics, he just may find himself even further up draft boards come July.

What's also impressive is that Burns is doing this as a starter. Kelly and Brash are able to use their stuff as a reliever.

The 35-year-old Kelly is heading into his 13th year in the big leagues. He's pitching once again for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lifetime, he's 53-37 with a 3.95 ERA.

Brash is heading into year three with the Seattle Mariners and is one of the top relievers in the American League. Ashcraft pitches for the Cincinnati Reds while Burnes was just traded to the Baltimore Orioles.

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