Chase Burns Is Putting Together a Season Reds Fans Won't Forget

When Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo were placed on the injured list to begin the season, the Reds originally thought Andrew Abbott and Brady Singer would carry the rotation, with Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, and Chase Burns expected to provide serviceable innings with upside. Not only has Burns developed into the ace of the staff this season, but he's also legitimately one of the top pitchers in baseball.

Is Chase Burns a Legit Cy Young Candidate?

After Tuesday's outing against the Philadelphia Phillies, Burns now has an ERA of 1.83 and a batting average of .183 against him. He is one of three pitchers in Major League Baseball with a sub-2.00 ERA and a sub-2.00 batting average against, joining Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees and Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers.

“It’s fun to watch a good young pitcher get better,” Terry Francona told Charlie Goldsmith. “We’re kind of witnessing it in front of our eyes.”

Burns has been elite this season. He's thrown six innings in each of his last three starts and has allowed just six runs over his last seven outings, with 25 hits over 42 2/3 innings. His command has improved over this recent stretch, walking just 10 batters in his last seven starts.

“I was getting ahead, sticking to our approach, we had a good game plan today and executing pitches,” Burns said. “Every time I go out there, I have a plan to go out there and do my job.”

His Development is Just What The Reds Needed

May 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (26) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

On the year, the 23-year-old is 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA. He has 64 strikeouts, 18 walks, and a 0.95 WHIP. His groundball percentage has increased over last season as well as his left on base percentage. In 2025, his LOB percentage was at 64 percent, and his groundball percentage was at 35 percent. This season, his LOB percentage is at 95 percent, and his groundball percentage is at 45 percent. His LOB percentage is best in baseball according to Fangraphs, ahead of Nick Martinez and Jacob deGrom; the only other pitchers over 90 percent. His groundball percentage has him inside the top 25.

“He’s a guy with a chance to be a top-of-the-rotation starter,” Nick Krall told Goldsmith before Burns' Major League Debut. “Building a good pitching staff is important, especially in this ballpark. He’s a guy with that top-of-rotation quality that you have a chance to build around.”

The Reds had a decision to make before ultimately drafting Burns with the second-overall pick in 2024's draft. Many were speculating whether they were going to draft one of Travis Bazzana or Charlie Condon after Cleveland's pick.

"Tough decision, but we saw the overall talent he brings to the table," Reds' amateur scouting director Joe Katuska said on draft day. "We’ve scouted him for a long time, had significant interest from the first time we saw him in high school and all the way through. It’s top-of-the-rotation potential."

He debuted on June 24, 2025, after a dominant run through the minors and has quickly become a bona fide star in this Reds rotation and is gaining popularity in Cy Young projection models with his incredible performances this season.

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