Chase Burns Bio
Chase David Burns is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Tennessee Volunteers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons before entering the professional ranks. Burns was selected by the Reds with the second overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2025.
A right-handed pitcher known for a high strikeout rate, Burns quickly rose from the Reds minor league system to the majors within months of signing. His rapid promotion made him one of the most talked-about young arms in baseball.
Early Life and Background
Chase David Burns was born on January 16, 2003, in Italy, where his parents were stationed with the United States military. Although born overseas, he is American by nationality and was raised primarily in Tennessee. He grew up in Gallatin, Tennessee, a community that helped shape his early athletic development.
Burns attended Station Camp High School before transferring to Beech Senior High School prior to his senior year. His father played college football for the North Greenville Trailblazers, giving Burns a household rooted in competitive sports. Growing up, his favorite player and team were Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees, a detail that reflected his early admiration for professional baseball.
Path to Baseball
Burns first gained national attention during his high school years, when he was selected in the 20th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres. He chose not to sign with the Padres and instead honored his commitment to play college baseball at the University of Tennessee.
As a freshman with the Tennessee Volunteers, Burns joined the starting rotation and finished the season with an 8-2 record and a 2.91 ERA, recording 103 strikeouts over 81⅓ innings. His performance earned him Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. During his sophomore season, Burns moved into a relief role midway through the year, but delivered a standout postseason, allowing only one run and striking out 22 batters over 16 innings, including six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in a 6-4 win over Stanford in the 2023 Men’s College World Series.
After that sophomore campaign, Burns entered the NCAA transfer portal and ultimately landed at Wake Forest. With the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, he set a school single-season record with 191 strikeouts and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Year.
Chase Burns Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
Burns’ competitive career began in earnest when the San Diego Padres selected him in the 20th round of the 2021 MLB draft. Rather than turn professional, he continued his development in the Southeastern Conference with the Tennessee Volunteers.
Across two college seasons at Tennessee, Burns built a reputation as a power pitcher with swing-and-miss stuff, highlighted by his dominant postseason showing at the 2023 Men’s College World Series. His transfer to Wake Forest elevated his profile further, as he set the program’s single-season strikeout record and earned ACC Pitcher of the Year honors in 2024.
Draft and Minor League Rise (2024–2025)
The Cincinnati Reds selected Burns with the second overall pick of the 2024 MLB draft, making him one of the headline names of that class. On July 18, 2024, he signed with the Reds for $9.25 million, a figure that broke the MLB signing bonus record set the previous year by Paul Skenes. Following the signing, Burns worked out at the Reds spring training facility at Goodyear Ballpark and was assigned to the Arizona Instructional League.
Burns made his professional debut on April 4, 2025, with the Dayton Dragons. After only three appearances in Single-A, he was promoted to the Chattanooga Lookouts of Double-A, where he expanded his pitch mix by adding a changeup across eight outings. He then made two starts for the Louisville Bats of Triple-A before receiving his call to the majors.
Cincinnati Reds Era (2025–Present)
On June 24, 2025, the Reds promoted Burns to the big leagues for the first time, making him the first pitcher from the 2024 draft class to reach the majors. He is also the sixth Italian-born pitcher in Major League Baseball history, and the first to debut in a season following 2024.
Burns made his MLB debut against the New York Yankees, striking out eight batters, including five in a row to open the game. That performance made him the first starting pitcher since at least the Expansion Era (1961) to strike out the first five batters of his debut. He allowed six hits and three earned runs in a no-decision. In his second outing, Burns struggled against the Boston Red Sox, giving up seven runs while recording only one out in a blowout loss.
Driving Style and Strengths
Burns’ game is built around an overpowering fastball and a sharp breaking ball, a combination that has produced consistently high strikeout totals at every level. Adding a changeup at Double-A gave him a more complete three-pitch mix and broadened his ability to handle opposite-handed hitters. His attacking approach on the mound fits the profile of a frontline starter the Reds are counting on for years to come.
Notable Events and Milestones
Burns set the MLB signing bonus record at $9.25 million in 2024 and became the first pitcher from his draft class promoted to the majors in 2025. He also entered the record book by striking out the first five batters of his debut, a feat unmatched by any starting pitcher since at least the Expansion Era.
Chase Burns Career Wins
While Chase Burns has logged limited MLB innings, his career already features several verified milestones, including a record-setting signing bonus and a historic debut performance. His verified wins and accomplishments span the amateur, minor league, and major league levels.
College Highlights
At Tennessee, Burns was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Freshman Pitcher of the Year after an 8-2 freshman campaign. He later delivered a dominant 2023 Men’s College World Series outing against Stanford, striking out nine across six scoreless innings in a 6-4 win. At Wake Forest, he set a school single-season strikeout record with 191 and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Year.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond his college accolades, Burns set the modern MLB signing bonus record when he agreed to a $9.25 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds in July 2024. His MLB debut against the New York Yankees produced eight strikeouts and a historic start, and he became the first pitcher of the 2024 draft class to reach the major leagues.
Chase Burns Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Burns was born in Italy while his parents were stationed there with the United States military. His father played college football for the North Greenville Trailblazers, grounding the family in competitive athletics. Burns’ childhood admiration for Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees shaped his early connection to baseball.
Personal Life
Burns grew up in Gallatin, Tennessee, where he attended Station Camp High School before transferring to Beech Senior High School. He comes from a military family with athletic roots and continues to focus on his early professional baseball career with the Cincinnati Reds.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Chase Burns’ arrival in Major League Baseball. He began the year in the Reds minor league system, opening with the Dayton Dragons on April 4, 2025, before rapid promotions through Chattanooga and Louisville. The Reds elevated him to the majors on June 24, 2025, signaling their belief in his readiness for top-level competition.
His MLB debut against the New York Yankees produced one of the most electrifying first starts in recent memory, with eight strikeouts and five consecutive strikeouts to open the game. A second outing against the Boston Red Sox proved far more difficult, exposing the learning curve that still lies ahead for the young right-hander.
As the 2025 season continues, the Reds are expected to give Burns a long look in their rotation while he refines his three-pitch mix. His combination of record-setting bonus, historic debut, and rapid promotion makes him a central figure in the franchise’s long-term plans.