Pipeline Q&As

Dayton. Chattanooga. Louisville. Cincinnati. Those destinations are where Reds No. 1 prospect Chase Burns has spent time this year.

The kicker? The MLB’s No. 3 right-handed pitching prospect went through them all in a three-month span during his rapid progression from High-A to the Show.

Since being selected second overall in the 2024 MLB draft, Burns’ first pro season has been a spectacle. After only three starts with the Dayton Dragons, Burns was bumped up to Double-A Chattanooga. Six weeks later, he was pitching for the Louisville Bats where it only took two starts for the 22-year-old to pick up his first Triple-A win.

On June 24, after putting together a 7-3 record with a 1.77 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 13 minor league games, he received the call-up and made his MLB debut against the Yankees. An electric night featured Burns striking out the first five batters he faced, the first starting pitcher to do so in his debut since at least 1961 (start of the Expansion Era).

Just before his promotion to the majors, Burns reflected on his relationship with baseball, his successful 2025 season and what comes next.

Where does your relationship with baseball stem from? How did that relationship evolve?

I've had huge ups and downs with the game. Starting off when I was young, I wasn't always the biggest or the best. I didn't even think I would play college baseball. But as I developed, God blessed me with the ability, and it was a lot of hard work. There were a lot of people supporting me. My dad was my biggest supporter helping me through my baseball journey. So just growing with the game has been fun to see the process. My dad and I were talking the other day, it's crazy to think that I didn't even want to play baseball when I was a freshman in high school and now, I'm 22 in Triple-A. It's really cool to see what God can do and the opportunities he can put you in. Being one step away from the big-league level is really cool. All the glory goes to God, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me in my career.

What’s it like being a former second-overall pick and the Reds’ No. 1 prospect. Is there any pressure or stress associated with it?

For me, I don't really see any pressure in it, but anything you do in life, you're going to have pressure anyways. I don't really look at the rankings and stuff like that, but it is a huge opportunity for the Reds to value me as the number one prospect. But then again, you still must go out there and play baseball and still perform. So that's kind of my mindset on it, just going out there and playing the game and trying to get better every day

After starting with High-A Dayton in April, you’ve progressed through the pipeline quickly by spending time in Chattanooga and now in Louisville. What is that experience like?

It can be a lot, especially for my first full pro season, I didn't really expect to move up that quickly from Dayton to Chattanooga, but it was a great opportunity to get closer to family. But it's a little hard. You get comfortable at a spot; you get close to a lot of teammates and then you end up just getting up and leaving. It’s something that I've had to deal with, but then again, it's still cool to be able to play for different teams and move on up and get close to the big leagues.

Spending time with three different clubs probably opens you up to a lot of learning experiences. Tell us about those lessons.

I've taken a lot away from it. At every level you see something a little bit different, whether it's the pitching on the other side or the hitters. Seeing how my own teammates go about their process [is interesting] also. As you get higher up into Double-A and Triple-A, you do see that these guys take their process very seriously and they're at the spot that they're at because of how they go about their business. It’s really cool to see that.

When you opened your season with Dayton, what did your goals for the year look like? As you’ve progressed, have those changed? If so, how?

When I was in Dayton, I was just trying to get my feet wet. It was my first time being at the baseball field every day coming out of spring training. I was just getting into a good routine with everything that could help me perform better on the field. I felt like I got that done in Dayton and when I went to Chattanooga, it was more like, “Let's work on the pitching side of it. What are these hitters looking for? What can I improve on?” The biggest thing for me [to improve on] is my changeup. I've always been a four-pitch mix guy, but I haven't really had to use the changeup. As I'm moving up on these levels, being able to attack the lefties with something different, I feel like it's a huge piece for me.

You’ve put together impressive starts at all levels you’ve played thus far. Where does that come from? What do you credit for all the good stats and even better outings?

It’s the people around me. The coaches and my catcher, of course. Then it’s also just my routine. Just you can't stay on an outing for too long knowing that you must play a couple days later. So, having that short memory of, “OK, what did I do good, what did I do bad?” Then it's time to recover and get ready for the next start.

How does your routine between starts compare to the morning before a game with you on the mound?

It's a lot of working out, getting the arm care in after and stretching. I take my routine very seriously. It's a long season. I'm already up to maybe 80 innings now. In college, you max out at a hundred. So, being able to have that routine that you can stick to and have that longevity of your arm, and your body is huge. [For the morning of, it’s] waking up, getting the mind and body right, fueling yourself and getting hydrated. Mentally, you're getting prepared to go out there for seven innings. That's the goal every time. It’s just getting ready for war. It’s a long day of trusting yourself and just going out there and attacking hitters.

You and Reds No. 2 prospect Rhett Lowder are both products of Wake Forest. What does that mean for your guys’ relationship?

I met Rhett when I committed to Wake Forest, and he was there in the offseason. I got to spend some time with him and talk to him. Then, this spring training, we actually got a place together. I spent a lot of time with him picking his brain and getting closer to him. He's been one of the first people to text me and tell me congratulations for moving up. I've been texting him, seeing where he's at in his process. It's really cool having an older guy that's in your corner supporting you and vice versa.

This year’s spring training was your first big league camp. What was that like for you?

It was really cool. There were a lot of emotions going into it. I was super nervous, of course, being around a bunch of big leaguers. At the same time, I knew that I could learn a lot from guys like Rhett and even Chase Petty. Him and I have gotten closer as we're starting to play together. I just learned a lot and got to see how big leaguers go about their day, what they're thinking about and how they recover. I only had one outing at the big-league level, but it was a cool moment to go out there and perform.

You’ve mentioned that you’re excited about your future. How do you keep pushing and progressing for it?

It's hard, but at the same time, like I said, God's given me an opportunity, and I wouldn't want it to go to waste. I know a bunch of people that would want to be in the spot that I'm at. So just going day by day. And then again, it's something that I love to do. There are not many things that I would want to be doing as my profession, but to say that I play professional baseball is just a dream come true.