Reds Prospect Gets Hunter Greene Comparison Before Debut vs. Yankees

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 10:53 AM ET

With the second overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Cincinnati Reds took flame-throwing starter Chase Burns out of Wake Forest University.

Just under a year since hearing his name called in Arlington, Burns will come to Cincinnati for his first crack at the big leagues.

His first taste of professional action will come against Aaron Judge and the Yankees, and many around Reds fandom think he's got what it takes.

One fan in particular likened Burns, whose fastball has reached 102 miles per hour, to the ace of the Reds' staff.

Burns was likened to Reds' ace Hunter Greene, also a second overall pick but in the 2017 MLB draft.

"Burns is a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher with a 4-pitch mix. A little similar to Hunter Greene, the fastball gets the headlines but the slider is his calling card," the fan wrote, analyzing Burns' movement profile.

The main concern for Burns in regards to his ceiling was his ability to control his fastball, which came with a high walk rate that forced his transfer to Wake Forest from Tennessee.

While with Wake Forest, Burns made some changes that led to his second overall selection, changes that have carried over to his time in the Reds' system.

In 16 starts with Wake Forest in 2024, Burns tallied 30 walks, but in 13 starts throughout the Reds' minor league system, Burns only posted 13.

Even more impressively, Burns' WHIP has gone down from college to the minors - his WHIP in 2024 with Wake Forest was 0.92, while his WHIP in those 13 minor league starts was 0.77.

Burns' draft-record $9.25 million signing bonus with the Reds surpassed that of Pirates' superstar Paul Skenes, who held the previous record at $9.2 million.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: