Chase Burns, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 MLB draft who has excelled at three levels of the minor leagues this season, will be promoted next week to make his major league debut for the Cincinnati Reds.
Burns, a right-handed starter who is the No. 12 prospect in ESPN’s Top 50, will take the mound Tuesday at home against the New York Yankees.
The 22-year-old Burns relies on an upper-90s fastball, and his 86 to 90 mph slider is possibly the best breaking ball in the minor leagues. He has made 13 starts in his professional career, the last of which came with Triple-A Louisville.
“It’s kind of hard to come up with a reason why we shouldn’t,” Reds manager Terry Francona said Sunday. “They tried to throw a lot at him. He just kind of handled everything.”
The Reds have had an up-and-down season, but at 39-38, they are still in the hunt for a National League wild-card berth, and Burns will bring added intrigue to the star-laden series against the Yankees. Cincinnati has lost three in a row heading into Sunday’s series finale with the St. Louis Cardinals before it opens a homestand with the Yankees on Monday night.
Burns is 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 66 minor league innings. Prior to his 2024 selection, he pitched in the SEC for Tennessee and the ACC for Wake Forest.
“We’re trying to give ourselves every chance to win and be in this, and right now, we feel like Chase gives us the best chance, and it’s time to go,” Reds general manager Brad Meador told the Cincinnati Enquirer.
While the Reds have been inconsistent offensively this season, their pitching has been solid. Through Friday’s loss, the Reds were 16th overall in team ERA at 3.90 and 10th with a 1.23 WHIP. But they placed left-hander Wade Miley on the injured list Friday and had to author a bullpen game Saturday.
“Trying to figure out when the time is right is always the toughest part. You never know for sure when a guy’s ready,” Meador said. “But he’s obviously pitched as well as you could possibly hope in the first year of professional baseball, and he seems to be getting stronger. Even when a guy’s ready, you never know, but he’s passed every test. I don’t think he’s going to be overwhelmed by the situation, for sure.”
Pitching for Double-A Chattanooga this season, Burns went 6-1 with a 1.29 ERA in eight starts before landing in Louisville. On Tuesday at Great American Ball Park, he is likely to oppose New York’s Carlos Rodon, who is 9-5 this season with a 3.10 ERA.
“It’s another game, but it is a major league team, He’s going to have a lot of firsts, but he’s handled everything so far,” Francona said. “And I think there’s an excitement, and you know, I think the front office, they’re trying to help us win, and I think we appreciate that.”
Cincinnati also made a series of roster moves before Sunday’s game, recalling right-hander Yosver Zulueta from Triple-A Louisville and bringing back third baseman Jeimer Candelario (lumbar spine strain) from a three-week rehab assignment.
Right-hander Chase Petty was optioned to Louisville, and second baseman Garrett Hampson was designated for assignment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
