Where Reds Star Chase Burns Ranks Among MLB's Best Players in 2026

The Cincinnati Reds have struggled this season, but their ace, Chase Burns, has enjoyed a breakout season during his first full year in the big leagues.

The Reds have needed Burns to step up because Hunter Greene missed the first half of the year with an elbow injury. Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, and Nick Lodolo have all missed time with injuries as well.

CBS Sports' Dayn Perry recently put together a list of the top 50 players in baseball right now, and he ranked Burns as the No. 12 player in the game. This ranking has Burns as the sixth-best pitcher in the game, trailing Shohei Ohtani, Jacob Misiorowski, Dylan Cease, Cristopher Sanchez, and Cam Schlittler.

Where Does Chase Burns Rank Among MLB's Best Players?

Jul 8, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns (26) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The 23-year-old Burns and his 98-mph fastball have broken out in a big way this season. The Wake Forest product through 18 starts, has a 1.73 ERA, and he's got 118 strikeouts in 102 ⅔ innings," Perry wrote. "While pitcher win-loss records are not exactly illuminating, let's note just the same that Burns is ten games above .500 (11-1) on a team that overall is nine games below .500. He's the worthy recipient of a recent nine-figure contract extension."

Burns has emerged as one of the best players in the game. The fact that he's almost unanimously seen as a top-20 player and top-10 pitcher in baseball is exciting for the Reds. Burns is in his first full season at the big league level after splitting time between the Reds and the minor leagues last season.

He's seen his production jump this season, as he's 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 18 starts this season. Burns ranks near the top of the league in strikeout rate, whiff rate, chase rate, fastball velocity, swinging strike rate, and a slew of other advanced metrics.

Burns hasn't been in the strike zone as much this season, but he's been generating more chases than he did last season. His slider is devastating, while his fastball has incredible life and routinely touches triple digits. There's a chance Burns can jump into the top 10 players in baseball if he can find the zone a bit more often while also deploying his plus changeup more than 5.7 percent of the time.

The future is bright for Burns, especially after signing his seven-year contract extension.

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