CINCINNATI — It’s a bit of déjà vu for the Cincinnati Reds in the first round of the MLB Draft. For the second year in a row, the Reds selected a right-handed pitcher from Wake Forest with their first pick, selecting Chase Burns second overall.
“I was pretty surprised I didn't really know what to think. I kind of got a quick call and just really excited,” Burns said.
Burns is a power pitcher who can throw 100 MPH. In his lone season at Wake Forest, Burns was 10-1 with a 2.70 ERA, striking out 191 batters in 100 innings of work. In 2024, Burns was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year and a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy (the award given to the best collegiate baseball player).
Prior to playing at Wake Forest, Burns pitched at Tennessee. His performance and draft stock made a big leap after transferring to Wake Forest. Burns accredited his transformation to Wake Forest’s state of the art “Pitching Lab.”
“That pitching lab they have is no joke. Just being able to get in there and work with all the new technology that baseball is becoming and get on the move better and work on mental game and it helped me elevate my game.” Burns said.
Although the two were never teammates, Burns connected with the Reds first round pick from 2023, Rhett Lowder, last fall at Wake Forest.
The son of military parents, Burns was born on the U.S. Naval Base in Naples, Italy.
“I don't remember anything of it, being in Italy but yeah, definitely, you know, them (his parents) bringing me up in that military background is definitely helped in sports and just created a mind today,” Burns said.
Burns is looking forward to being evaluated by the Reds coaching staff to decide where he will start his professional career.
