Prized prospect Chase Burns excited to make MLB debut for Reds against Yankees

CINCINNATI — Growing up, Chase Burns dreamed of playing for the New York Yankees.

He's about to make his major league debut against them.

The 22-year-old Burns will take the mound for the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, less than a year after being the second overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft.

''I wanted to be like Derek Jeter and play shortstop. I'm excited to have a Reds uniform, though,'' Burns said Monday before Cincinnati opened a three-game series against the Yankees.

The right-hander went 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA in 13 starts with Class-A Dayton, Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville before Reds brass declared him big league ready. He was elevated to the taxi squad Monday and will be added to the active roster before Tuesday's game.

''I talked about it a lot. I wanted to move up quick and make an impact, but when it happens it's surreal. Just the other day it felt like I was in Dayton and making my first start,'' Burns said.

Burns will be the fifth first-round selection from last year's draft to reach the majors, joining Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone, Angels second baseman Christian Moore and Astros outfielder Cam Smith, who was selected by the Cubs before going to Houston in the Kyle Tucker trade last December. Burns and Kurtz both attended Wake Forest.

Burns' strength is his fastball, which is averaging 97 mph and regularly hits triple digits. He also has an above-average slider as a secondary pitch and has improved his changeup.

He led full-season minor league pitchers with a 0.77 WHIP, ranked fifth in ERA, was sixth with 89 strikeouts and tied for sixth with an opponents' batting average of .167.

''He's electric on the mound. He throws hard and his off-speed stuff is great,'' Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott said. "He comes in with the right makeup and mentality. With all of those things combined, he'll be ready."

Making a big league debut creates its own special kind of stress. Doing it against one of the top lineups in the majors takes that to another level.

The third hitter Burns will likely face is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who hit his 28th home run during the first inning Monday night.

Burns, though, is trying to remain level-headed going into Tuesday night.

''I know he's there. Just enjoy the moment,'' Burns said. ''There's going to be pressure in anything you do in life. That's what my dad instilled in me. And, of course, being the No. 2 overall pick, you're going to have a lot of pressure. At the end of the day, you just have to have fun.''

According to baseball-reference.com, Burns will be the 58th starting pitcher since 1961 to make his major league debut against the Yankees. Included on that list are Luis Tiant, Blake Snell, Jacob deGrom, David Wells and Jake Peavy.

Another person who isn't concerned about Burns' debut coming against the Yankees is his manager.

''I don't think you give a (darn) about the mystique. If we did that, we probably made a mistake,'' Terry Francona said. "We don't make decisions because of that. That's maybe for social media, not for what we're doing.

''You can't replicate your first game in the major leagues. It might be the most exciting day in your life, and don't back away from that. But whatever happens tomorrow is not going to define his career. You know, if he throws seven shutout innings, everybody is going to put him in the Hall of Fame. If he gives up four runs in three innings, they will want to send him down. I told him, just be who you are and let's see if they can hit you.''

The Reds (41-38) opened the series with a 6-1 win Monday night and go into Tuesday having won 11 of 16 to get within two games of the final NL wild-card spot.

Cincinnati is 12-8 in June, tied for the third-best record in the NL.

Burns' promotion and high-priced infielder Jeimer Candelario being designated for assignment indicate the Reds think they can make a run at a postseason spot in Francona's first year as manager.

''The front office and ownership could have stalled out Burns, but he's an extremely talented player that everyone can see can help us win now. It reinforces and shows they believe in us as well, which is pretty cool,'' said outfielder Gavin Lux, who homered in Monday's win. ''Guys are pulling for each other and we're starting to gain some momentum.''

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb