Chase Burns, the former Tennessee Volunteers standout, is slated to start for the Cincinnati Reds against the Atlanta Braves in the upcoming MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Burns has quickly risen to the big leagues. Despite a rocky start to his pro career — holding an 0-3 record with a 6.26 ERA — the young right-hander has shown flashes of dominance, racking up 45 strikeouts in just 27⅓ innings. He’s recorded 10 or more strikeouts in each of his last three outings heading into the highly anticipated game on August 2 at 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX.
Before being called up by the Reds for his MLB debut on June 24 against the New York Yankees, Chase Burns dominated the minor leagues, going 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 89 strikeouts over 66 innings.
Burns pitched for Tennessee in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to Wake Forest for the 2024 season. At Wake, he delivered a standout performance, finishing 10-1 with 191 strikeouts in 100 innings, which helped him earn a record-setting $9.25 million signing bonus after being selected No. 2 overall in the MLB Draft.
During his two seasons at Tennessee, Burns compiled a 13-5 record and a 3.54 ERA, striking out 217 batters in 152⅓ innings. He made 35 appearances, including 22 starts, and transitioned into a dominant bullpen role as a sophomore following a strong freshman year in the rotation.
A native of Gallatin, Tennessee, Burns went 5-3 with a 4.25 ERA in 2023, tallying 114 strikeouts in 72 innings. In the postseason, he stepped up with 22 strikeouts in 16 innings across four appearances, allowing just one run on eight hits and five walks. His six scoreless innings against Stanford helped Tennessee secure its first College World Series win since 2001.
As a freshman, Burns earned multiple All-American honors, going 8-2 with a 2.91 ERA, and quickly established himself as one of the nation’s most electric young arms.
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