Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns reflects on the competitive rookie class this season, highlighting standout players like Sal Stewart and Konnor Griffin. Burns, now in his first full season, boasts a strong start with a 2.20 ERA.
Key points
Chase Burns wishes he still had rookie status
Burns has a 3-1 record and 2.20 ERA this season
Sal Stewart is a standout rookie for the Reds
Konnor Griffin is a notable young player for the Pirates
The rookie class is considered one of the best in recent memory
Mentioned in this story
Detroit
Cincinnati RedsPittsburgh PiratesChase BurnsSal Stewart
PITTSBURGH â At least a small part of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns wishes he still had rookie status this season and could compete in what promises to be one of the most competitive postseason awards races of the year.
âOf course,â he said. âBut being able to come up last year like I did and play ⊠Thatâs just how it is sometimes.â
Burns, 23, will settle for getting off to a great start in this first full season in the majors (3-1, 2.20 ERA through seven starts) and enjoy his front-row seat for one of the best rookie classes in recent memory â with teammate Sal Stewart right at the top of the list in the early going.
âYou look at who weâre facing (over the weekend), with (Pittsburghâs) Konnor Griffin. You think of Sal. You think of (Detroitâs) Kevin McGonigle,â Burns said. âItâs cool to see young players making their stamp on baseball this early.
âBaseballâs just evolving,â he added. âGuys are getting younger, guys are getting better. Itâs cool to see a guy like Konnor Griffin, who just turned 20.â
Barely a week ago.
âItâs good for the state of baseball,â said Reds manager Terry Francona of a group of rookies that entering May included the MLB leaders in RBIs (Stewart) and home runs (White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami).
âEspecially when you see what kind of kids they seem to be,â Francona said. âI know our guys. But ask around, too, when you face other teams, and it seems like theyâre pretty good kids. Thatâs really good for the game.â
He doesnât have to go too far to ask about some of the best ones. The National League Central has legit rookie of the year candidates spread across four teams, and the Reds get another look at one, Moises Ballesteros, when they finish this two-city trip against the Cubs in .
Q&A
Who are the top rookie pitchers in the NL this season?
The top rookie pitchers in the NL include Cincinnati Reds' Sal Stewart and Pittsburgh's Konnor Griffin, among others.
What is Chase Burns' performance this season?
Chase Burns has a record of 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA through his first seven starts this season.
How is the rookie class in MLB evolving?
The rookie class in MLB is evolving with younger players making significant impacts, as noted by Chase Burns.
What did Chase Burns say about his rookie status?
Chase Burns expressed a wish to still have rookie status to compete in the awards race, reflecting on his experience from last year.
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Despite slowing down a tick over the past week, one of the Redsâ most polished hitters remains the betting favorite through April to win the Redsâ first Rookie of the Year award since Jonathan India in 2021.
Heâs played in all of the Redsâ games, batted cleanup from the start, and produced a .913 OPS based as much on his command of the strike zone (18 walks, 24 strikeouts) as his power (nine home runs).
And the dude also might be the Redsâ best base runner, nabbing seven steals without being caught.
St. Louis shortstop JJ Wetherholt, here applying the tag on Detroit's Parker Meadows, has been equally impactful on both offense and defense.
St. Louis shortstop JJ Wetherholt, here applying the tag on Detroit's Parker Meadows, has been equally impactful on both offense and defense.
Even if the Cardinalsâ youth-movement rebuild doesnât go where the Cards hope, guys like Wetherholt could be worth the price of a few tickets this summer.
The lefty hitting infielder leads the leagueâs top rookies with 1.5 bWAR in part because of his two-way prowess with a strong defensive presence up the middle.
The bat plays at any position with seven homers among his 12 extra-base hits and 17 walks to go with a .365 on-base percentage and .824 OPS.
Mets starter Nolan McLean posted a 2.55 ERA through his first six starts this season that followed a sterling debut last season.
Mets starter Nolan McLean posted a 2.55 ERA through his first six starts this season that followed a sterling debut last season.
The Mets are a hot mess in just about every way but on the mound every fifth day when McLean gets the ball.
McLean, who impressed in an eight-start debut last season (5-1, 2.06), is at it again this year despite the last-place crew around him.
He has a 2.55 ERA in six starts, averaging nearly 6 innings per start, with 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings (2.6 BB) and a sharp 0.849 WHIP. Thanks to his Mets pals, he has just a 1-2 record to show for it.
Good thing for Lowder the stats are cut off at May 1 because Saturdayâs rough start in Pittsburgh could knock him down a notch next time around.
Until then, the kid who debuted in 2024 with a 1.17 ERA in six starts, then missed all of last year with injuries, has returned to go 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA in his first six starts this year.
His 1.1 bWAR put him second to Wetherholt on this list, with these encouraging comparisons between these six starts and his six as a rookie: Heâs pitched more innings, with a lower WHIP and walk rate (albeit, until the Pittsburgh start) and a slightly higher K rate.
He still has allowed only one career home run (in this yearâs season debut).
Moises Ballesteros, sliding into second against the Diamondbacks, is passable as a first baseman and catcher, but the Cubs make sure to find ways to get his bat into the lineup.
Moises Ballesteros, sliding into second against the Diamondbacks, is passable as a first baseman and catcher, but the Cubs make sure to find ways to get his bat into the lineup.
This guy can kind of play first base and can catch a little. But he hits a lot, capable of making contact anywhere near the plate and prompting Cubs manager Craig Counsell to tell his hitting coaches to keep their hands off Ballesteros.
With just 13 strikeouts and eight walks, he shows Stewart-like contact tendencies. And with a .324 average and a .980 OPS in 28 games, the lefty hitter has forced his way into the Cubsâ everyday plans â to the point theyâre starting to rotate him into some catching starts.
