Cincinnati Reds first-round pick Chase Burns has officially signed his contract, agreeing to a deal worth $9.25 million. This breaks the draft bonus record previously held by Paul Skenes, who signed for $9.2 million with the Pittsburgh Pirates after being selected first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Pen meets paper. pic.twitter.com/3nPC0fivft
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 18, 2024
Burns’ Transfer to Wake Forest Pays Off
Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, transferred from Tennessee to Wake Forest ahead of the 2024 college baseball season. Seeking to elevate his game, he took advantage of the training opportunities at Wake Forest’s renowned “pitching lab.” Burns’ decision to bet on himself paid off, resulting in a higher draft position and a record-setting bonus.
Chase Burns spent his first two collegiate seasons at Tennessee before transferring to Wake Forest for his final year. Ranked fifth in ESPN’s final draft rankings, Burns is projected to land 44th on the minor league Top 100 prospects list once he turns pro.
How good has Chase Burns been?
Here's some Stats. 🤯
-Comp with Paul Skenes stats from last year.
-Comps with Felix Bautista & Spencer Strider (obviously against a different levels of hitters).
-And a discussion of his Induced Vertical Break on his Fastball. pic.twitter.com/EvXcUQdcdl— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 17, 2024
“If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it 100 times in the (draft) room,” Reds scouting director Joe Katuska said. “He’s a big hairy monster. Those are the guys that pitch in the front of the rotations. They pitch in October. They pitch at the end of games. They’re the ones you want to give the ball to.”
“It always feels good,” Katuska said. “Stage one is scouting a guy. Stage two is drafting him. Stage three is probably the most important part. Actually getting him signed. Going through the physical process and get their pen to paper.”
Katuska said that Burns’ next step is to head to the team’s spring training complex on Sunday and get on the field on Monday.
“The biggest thing first is figuring out where he is in a throwing progression,” Katuska said. “He still has some innings to throw. But it’s been a little bit since he was on the mound in a game situation. We’re going to protect the long-term and what the projection is for him.”
Burns Joins Another Wake Forest Product in Cincinnati
He was the consensus best pitcher in the draft, boasting a 96-100 mph fastball and a plus-plus slider, both considered among the draft’s best pitches. This spring, Burns struck out a school-record 191 batters in 100 innings while walking just 30, finishing with a 2.70 ERA.
Another standout from Wake Forest, righty Rhett Lowder, was the second pitcher in the 2023 MLB draft behind Paul Skenes. The Reds also selected Lowder, though he and Burns never played together in college.
No. 1 draft pick Travis Bazzana (Cleveland Guardians/Oregon State) and third pick Charlie Condon (Colorado Rockies/Georgia) were universally regarded as the top two players in the draft. Consequently, either or both could surpass Chase Burns’ bonus before the August 1 signing deadline. Burns’ record-setting bonus of $9.25 million sets a high bar, but Bazzana and Condon’s elite status might lead to even larger contracts.
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