Chase Burns Forcing a Conversation the Reds' Front Office Can’t Ignore

While the Cincinnati Reds have been one of the better teams in baseball to start the season, there's been a lot of discussion about their young talent. There have been many articles written about why the Reds need to sign Rookie of the Year candidate Sal Stewart to a long-term extension. While I completely agree with that point, they also have a guy who not only flashes ace potential so far in his young career, but also a superstar you can build your starting rotation around, and that is Chase Burns.

The former Number 2 overall pick has shown how good he can be so far in the 2026 season, and while there is still a lot of growth to go, Burns hasn't given any reason to think he won't be able to continue to grow and adjust to big league hitters. The Reds signed Hunter Greene to a long-term extension a few years back, and when Greene has been available, he has shown he was worthy of the contract. Now, the Reds have a chance to do it again and lock up the future of their pitching staff.

His profile states, he's the right guy to extend:

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (26) throws a pitch in the first inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park on Thursday, April 16, 2026. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In Burns' first five starts of the season, Burns not only is off to a solid 2-1 start with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, but he's simply been a guy on the verge of domination. His pitching run value is in the 92nd percentile, and his breaking run value is in the 99th. Burns also has elite whiff %, K%, and fastball velocity. Walks are not where any of us would like them to be by any means, but many young pitchers struggle with letting people on base, and you often see pitchers grow with pitch location as they gain more experience.

This is how "small market" teams win:

As discussed earlier, the Reds gave Hunter Greene a deal that bought out his arbitration years and early free agent seasons. You often see lower-market teams take this approach to retaining their young talent. The Atlanta Braves have become famous for locking up their young talent and have had success doing so. The Cleveland Guardians are also a team that has done this in the past and seen success. Now, the Reds definitely have a playoff-caliber pitching staff, and a guy like Burns is someone you can trust in a short series.

Fits the October Baseball Mold:

Power pitchers with elite swing-and-miss stuff dominate in the postseason. Burns has just that. With the ability to make batters chase (no pun intended) pitches, and also has platoon-neutral dominance, he is a pitcher built for do-or-die baseball.

The Reds should do everything in their power to extend Burns before he gets too expensive.

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