Cincinnati Reds top pitching prospect Chase Burns, ranked among the best young talents in baseball, made his highly anticipated Major League Baseball debut on Tuesday against the New York Yankees at Great American Ball Park. For the hard-throwing right-hander, the start held extra significance, coming against the team he grew up rooting for.
Burns delivered a performance that immediately etched his name into the MLB history books. Facing the heart of the Yankees’ formidable lineup, he struck out the first five batters he faced, an unprecedented feat in the expansion era (since 1961) for a pitcher making their debut. This dominant sequence included striking out three current or former Most Valuable Players: Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt.
A Record-Setting Start
From his very first pitches, Burns showcased the high velocity that has fueled his rise through the minor leagues. He started leadoff hitter Trent Grisham with two fastballs clocked at 98 and 100 mph before striking him out with a sweeping slider. He then dispatched Ben Rice with a 99 mph fastball.
The third batter was two-time MVP Aaron Judge, who swung and missed at a slider for Burns’ third straight strikeout, completing a dominant first inning against the core of the Yankees’ order. Burns carried that momentum into the second, striking out Cody Bellinger looking at a 3-2 changeup and then recovering from a 3-0 count to strike out former MVP Paul Goldschmidt swinging on a slider, securing the historic five-straight strikeouts to begin his MLB career.
After allowing the first hit of his outing to Jazz Chisholm Jr., Burns ended the second inning by striking out Anthony Volpe, giving him six strikeouts in his first six recorded outs. By the end of the third inning, he had notched his seventh strikeout, getting Grisham for the second time, this time looking at a changeup. Overall, he retired nine of the first ten batters he faced.
Navigating the Challenge
The toughest stretch of Burns’ debut came in the fourth inning when he faced the top of the Yankees’ lineup for the second time. Ben Rice led off with a solo home run. Singles from Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed later in the inning before a line drive triple by Anthony Volpe (which saw a misplay in shallow center field) allowed two more runs to score, giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead.
Despite allowing three runs, Burns did not falter. He got the final out of the fourth and returned for the fifth inning, completing his outing by striking out Grisham for the third time before getting Rice and Judge out to end his impressive debut.
Final Line and Outlook
Chase Burns finished his historic MLB debut having pitched 5 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 6 hits. Crucially, he demonstrated excellent command, recording 8 strikeouts while issuing zero walks. His arsenal featured a fastball touching 100 mph, a curveball, a changeup, and a highly effective sweeping slider.
Though the runs in the fourth inning impacted his final line (he did not factor into the decision in the Reds’ eventual 5-4 walk-off win), Burns’ debut was widely seen as living up to the hype surrounding his high prospect ranking. The historic start, particularly the record-setting five consecutive strikeouts against a potent Yankees lineup that included multiple MVPs, highlighted his immense potential and ability to dominate at the highest level.
