SHARP DEAL: Cincinnati Reds land best MLB crucial pitcher
Before the 2024 MLB Draft, there was much speculation about whether the Cleveland Guardians, with the #1 overall pick, would ignore the early draft rankings and opt for a player they could sign for below-slot value.
However, the real surprise of the draft came when the Cincinnati Reds defied the consensus rankings and passed on selecting a proven college hitter with the 2nd overall pick. After Cleveland chose Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana with the top pick, the Reds, despite having Georgia’s Charlie Condon and Florida’s Jac Caglianone available, returned to Wake Forest to pick RHP Chase Burns at #2.
With the 2nd pick in the 2024 #MLBDraft, the Cincinnati Reds select RHP Chase Burns.
Welcome to Reds Country, Chase‼️ pic.twitter.com/qJPE0BOA10
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 14, 2024
The consensus All-American and Golden Spikes Award semifinalist features an electric fastball that regularly hits 100 mph, and his slider is so impressive that ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel gave it a 70 grade. It was a close decision between Burns and Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith for the title of the ‘top’ pitcher in this draft class, and Cincinnati clearly showed their preference with this pick.
Burns was generally ranked between the 4th and 7th best prospect in the draft, on par with Smith but behind the top trio of hitters (with Caglianone, a two-way player from Florida, expected to focus on hitting). Cincinnati, however, saw significant potential in Burns and chose him, nearly a year after selecting Rhett Lowder in the 1st round of the 2023 draft, also from Wake Forest.
Over at SBN, the Reds received a B+ for their move, with the note that Burns was seen as the best pitcher in the draft. If the top hitters didn’t impress, securing the best arm was the next best strategy.
This choice was somewhat unexpected on paper, but it’s clear Cincinnati is prioritizing drafting elite pitching talent. Their current rotation includes former 1st rounders Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, and former 2nd rounder Andrew Abbott, with Lowder waiting in the wings. It seems they’re focusing on acquiring as much pitching talent as possible through drafts and trades, given the difficulty of signing elite free-agent pitchers willing to play in Great American Ball Park.
With Burns now likely at the top of Cincinnati’s prospect list, he brings this kind of impressive arsenal to the team:
Chase Burns, Unfair 5 Pitch K Sequence.
100mph, 100mph, 101mph, 100mph & 83mph Hammer. 😳
Imagine facing this after studying for Calculus. pic.twitter.com/ixjQsfMpIx
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 22, 2024
"His slider is one of the best pitches you're ever gonna see." – @jimcallisMLB on #2 overall pick Chase Burns@Reds | @WakeBaseball | #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/4lq9xHEjNP
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 15, 2024