Cincinnati Reds' Chase Burns Continues Strong Start to Season on Tuesday

There's plenty for Cincinnati Reds fans to be excited about, especially right-handed pitcher Chase Burns. The 2024 No. 2 overall MLB Draft pick is proving his worth, as he's 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA over five starts this season.

Burns allowed two runs on four hits over 5.2 innings in Tuesday's 12-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder also tallied eight strikeouts against two walks, and the only runs he allowed came on Jonathan Aranda's two-run homer in the sixth. That made the score 9-2 in favor of Cincinnati at the time.

Burns' hot start to the year was much-needed, as he went 0-3 with a 4.57 ERA over 13 outings (eight starts) last season. The Reds fast-tracked the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon's minor-league journey, as he made just 13 starts across High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A last year, notching a 7-3 record with a 1.77 ERA. However, his big-league struggles showed that he still had a long way to go before reaching his potential.

Burns' 2026 performance thus far is a step in the right direction. The Tennessee native has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his five starts and has two quality starts thus far. He also leads the squad in ERA and strikeouts (30).

Burns is partially why Cincinnati ranks ninth in MLB with a 3.47 ERA and leads the NL Central at 16-8. When its offense complements its pitching as it has recently, the squad is tough to beat.

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