Cincinnati Reds right-hander Chase Burns is having a special breakout season.
Chase Burns is having a one-of-a-kind breakout season. The Cincinnati Reds are going to be without right-hander Hunter Greene, who operated as the team's ace from 2024 to 2025, for the rest of this season and all of 2027 as well. Greene underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Wednesday.
However, they may already have a replacement capable of handling that exact same role in Burns.
Burns struggled during his rookie season to prevent runs, bouncing back and forth between the bullpen and starting rotation.
This year he has not only made it clear he is a starter but has made it clear he is one of the best in the league. He earned his first-ever All-Star selection for his performance in the first half.
His most recent start on Friday against the Miami Marlins was another dominant performance, allowing just four hits and zero earned runs while striking out eight across seven innings.
That improved his record to 14-2 and dropped his ERA down to 2.47 on the year, placing him in truly elite territory.
"Since earned runs became an official stat in both leagues in 1913, the only pitcher to finish a season with a sub-2.50 ERA and .850-plus winning percentage before turning 24 years old was the Mets' Dwight Gooden in 1985," wrote Opta Stats on X.
While Burns still has six weeks to maintain this level to officially stand alongside Gooden in the record books, the fact that the comparison is even being made speaks to just how dominant he has been.
At just 23 years old, he may be the most valuable player on the Reds roster right now. He is not a free agent until 2034. The Reds locked him up on a seven-year, $105 million extension back in July that buys out all his arbitration years and two years of unrestricted free agency.
Burns was always expected to be this dominant, drafted second overall in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, but to reach this level so immediately is still impressive.
He is one of the most electric arms in the league, and even though the Reds are well out of the playoff race this year it does not fall on Burns, who alongside National League Rookie of the Year frontrunner Sal Stewart has been one of the only consistent bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season for Cincinnati.
