Burns has a lot in common with Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder, who started last season in Dayton and ended the season in the big leagues. They’re both first-round picks out of Wake Forest with a polished approach on the mound.
“We were definitely well prepared coming out of school,” Lowder said earlier this year. “Chase is super gifted and super talented, so he deserves a lot of credit. Chase is mature as well, and he can handle anything on the chin, too.”
While Lowder commands four pitches and moves them all over the strike zone, Burns is a flamethrower who racks up strikeouts.
Over the last year, Burns has really improved at the art of pitching.
“There were so many changes that I couldn’t even name them all,” Burns said earlier this year. “Small things ended up being bigger. Flexibility. Mobility. Mental work. The mental game. Drills. All kinds of stuff. Everything that completes a pitcher.”
At the start of spring training, Lowder gave Burns one piece of very important advice.
“Don’t stink.”
It only took three starts in High-A for Burns to show the Reds that he was ready for the next level.
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