Reds draft pitcher in first round for second straight year

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Burns, 21, was born in Naples, Italy, grew up in Gallatin, Tenn., and graduated from Beech High School in Hendersonville, Tenn. He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year and was a first-team All-American in his first season at Wake Forest after two seasons at Tennessee. He was 10-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts and 100 innings. He set a school record with 191 strikeouts.

“Chase has the ability to be a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher at the Major League level, and do it quickly,” said Reds Director of Amateur Scouting Joe Katuska in a press release. “It’s a profile that we always start with in the draft, and Chase checks all the boxes. We love the quality and depth of his pitch mix, and his competitiveness. He’s made great strides since we first saw him pitch 4 years ago, and see him continuing on that same trajectory.”

This is the second straight year the Reds drafted a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher from Wake Forest in the first round. In 2023, they took Rhett Lowder with the No. 7 pick. Burns is the highest-drafted player in Wake Forest history.

The Reds beat the odds to get the No. 2 pick in the second year of the MLB Draft Lottery. They had the 16th-best record (82-80) in baseball last season and were one of 18 teams eligible for the lottery. They had a 0.9% chance of winning the top pick.

The Reds last had a No. 2 pick in 2017 when they drafted Hunter Greene and 2016 when they drafted Nick Senzel.

Kiley McDaniel, of ESPN, predicted the Reds would draft University of Florida first baseman Jac Caglianone. Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis, of MLB.com, both predicted the Reds would draft Georgia outfielder/third baseman Charlie Condon.

The Cleveland Guardians, who had the No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history, selected Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, who became the first second baseman taken first overall.

Bazzana and University of Georgia outfielder/third baseman Charlie Condon were the first and second players in MLB.com’s ranking of the top 100 prospects. The Colorado Rockies took Condon with the No. 3 pick.

Burns was the sixth-ranked prospect but the second-ranked pitcher on the list.

According to the MLB.com scouting report, “Burns operates at 97-99 mph and reaches 102 with his heater, but it’s fairly straight and batters get a good look at it coming out of his high arm slot, so it gets hit harder than it should at times. His tight slider is a true beast that sits in the upper 80s and has generated a 60 percent swing-and-miss rate during the last two seasons. He also owns a plus low-80s curveball.”

The Reds will make two more picks Sunday night. They have one pick in the second round (No. 51 overall) and a pick in the Competitive Balance Round B (No. 71).