Chase Burns Flashes Blazing Fastball, Exciting Potential In Reds Debut
Image credit: Chase Burns (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
There was plenty of excitement when the Reds selected Chase Burns with No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft. But it would be a while before fans got to see what the 22-year-old righthander had to offer after joining the organization.
That opportunity finally came in the ninth inning of the Reds’ spring training 5-3 loss against the Rangers at Goodyear Ballpark on Wednesday evening. And Burns made a strong first impression.
The Wake Forest product faced four batters, striking out three and issuing one walk on 18 pitches. Burns threw his fastball 14 times, sitting between 98 and 99 mph. He reached 100 on four occasions, generating four whiffs.
He capped off his outing by getting Marcus Smith to strike out on three pitches.
“For us, it’s kind of coming into the middle of spring training,” Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters after the game. “Guys are getting a little bit of heavy legs, and you see this young kid come out, probably his heart was racing, and he threw the ball very, very well.”
The Reds shut down Burns after signing him for $9.25 million, which broke Paul Skenes’ record of $9.2 million the year before. Burns threw 100 innings for Wake Forest that spring, the first time he’d reached that threshold in his college career.
Burns spent his time at the Reds complex in Goodyear and focused on arm care. He threw one session of live batting practice and pitched in one instructional game. Admittedly, it was an adjustment not throwing in-game during baseball season, but time away from the mound taught Burns the importance of maintaining his body health.
“Definitely take care of your body,” Burns said. “You’re doing a lot of stuff day in and day out. It also helped me get my feet wet with professional ball and getting used to everything that comes with it.”
Burns transferred from Tennessee to Wake Forest and cemented himself as one of the best pitchers in college. His blazing fastball was a big reason, but his plus-plus 87-88 mph slider added to that cause.
The righthander also improved his low-80s power curveball and upper-80s changeup.
Burns tallied 191 strikeouts in his final college season, breaking the single-season record for the Demon Deacons, which, coincidentally, had held by Rhett Lowder, the Reds’ No. 7 overall pick in 2023.
Lowder and Burns’ paths didn’t cross at Wake Forest, but they now find themselves sharing the same clubhouse during spring training.
“It’s awesome,” Burns said. “He’s taken me under his wing and showed me the ropes. Just being able to talk to, lean on and ask questions is really cool.”
So, what advice does Lowder have for Burns?
“It’s a long season,” Lowder said. “This is fun, but it’s his first spring training. I remember I was getting caught up in a lot of the results, too, but it’s a long process. It’s going to be a long year, but you have to learn as much as you can and not beat yourself up too much.”
Burns was reassigned to minor league camp after his outing, but don’t be surprised if he gets a callup during the season the same way Lowder did in his first pro season at the end of the 2024 season. Lowder, like Burns, was shut down after throwing 120.1 innings with Wake Forest. If Burns has the same path as Lowder, he could spend a majority of his season at Double-A.
Regardless of the destination, Burns has one goal in mind for his first professional season.
“I want to stay healthy,” Burns said. “It’s a long season, very different from college. I’m trying to make an impact at any level.”
