by Bryce Kamin
At just 23 years old, Chase Burns continues to dominate in his second year in the big leagues as he is becoming one of the best young pitchers in baseball.
His 1.83 ERA is 5th best across Major League Baseball. In his tenth start on May 19th Burns helped the Reds tie up their series against the Philadelphia Phillies. He recorded nine strikeouts in six innings while giving up just one run, raising his season strikeout total to 64 and improving his win-loss record to 6-1 in 59 innings of work.
There are many things leading to Burns’s success but what stands out maybe more than anything is his chase and whiff numbers. His chase rate is in the 71st percentile while his whiff rate is in the 93rd – meaning he’s doing a phenomenal job of getting hitters to swing and miss.
His breaking run value is also in the 100th percentile as he’s throwing his 91mph slider 37% of the time. Hitters have only had a .183 batting average against him as he holds onto a tremendous .95 WHIP. As MLBbro.com’s Toussaint Fancher said a few weeks ago, “Burns’s fastball-slider combination is one of the two best pitches in the entire league.”
Chase is carrying the Reds pitching staff. He leads the National League with a .238 ERA+ and leads all Reds pitchers in ERA, innings pitched, wins, WHIP, and strikeouts while having the highest WAR on the team. Although this breakout was expected, it doesn’t change how impressive the results are. It takes most young pitchers time to adjust to the majors, but Burns looks perfectly comfortable on the mound in just his second year.
Chase is almost certain to make his way to the All Star game in Philadelphia, and If he can keep this up, he’ll be in the CY Young race by season’s end. The Reds continue to battle it out in the NL East, maintaining a winning record, and Burns is a huge part of that. His future is bright as he has the opportunity to be one of Baseball’s best pitchers for many years to come.
