How Chase Burns Stacks Up Against the National League's Best Pitchers

The Reds knew they had something special with Burns and it's fair to say he's even surprising them.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (26) returns to the dugout after finishing his outing in the sixth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The Reds led 2-0 after three innings. The Reds won 15-1. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even when Chase Burns isn't his best, he still finds a way to be impressive.

On Saturday afternoon, Burns took on the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. In a game in which he was charged with five earned runs, he still managed to avoid giving up a walk, and also tied his career high 10 strikeouts.

Burns also broke his incredible streak of 12 consecutive runs giving up two earned runs or less, bringing his ERA up to 2.36. If you had told the Reds at the beginning of the season they would be getting this kind of performance from their 23 year old pitcher who was just drafted in the 2024 MLB draft, they probably wouldn't believe you.

On a team, we were told their starting rotation would be their strength, Burns has become their Ace. Yes, Hunter Greene is yet to pitch this season, but the trio of Burns, Greene, and Andrew Abbott has become one of the more elite groupings of starting pitchers.

Now that Burns has shown he is one of the more elite pitchers in Baseball, it's interesting to see how he compares to the other aces in the league, particularly in the National League. If you break it down even further, in his own division.

Burns shares a division amongst the Pittsburgh Pirates, Paul Skenes, who the Reds faced Friday night in their 6-4 victory, and the Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misorowski, who Burns will face off against on Thursday in Milwaukee. Also amongst National League stars are Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves.

This is to prove the point that although Burns has proven he should be an All-Star in the 2026 season, it's unlikely he ends up the starter for the NL in the game. But, looking at how he compares to his fellow stars, he has a solid case.

Jun 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns (26) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Of all the players mentioned above, Burns has the best record of the group at 9-1. He's third in the group in ERA at 2.36, 4th in Strikeouts, and third in WAR.

This puts Burns amongst the elite pitchers in Baseball, and even more room to grow. Now, it's known that the Reds have an inning limit on Burns, but it seems that number is yet to be released. This could take him out of the Cy Young running, but this won't be an issue for the Mid-Summer classic in July.