College Phenom Chase Burns Draws MLB Comparisons with Stellar Season Debut

College Phenom Shines in Season Debut, Drawing Comparisons to Elite MLB Pitchers Chase Burns, the standout pitcher from Wake Forest University, kicked off his 2024 season in impressive fashion last Saturday, delivering six shutout innings against Illinois. Burns, a transfer from the University of Tennessee, is already garnering attention as one of the top prospects in the 2024 draft class, drawing parallels to a select group of elite major league pitchers.

According to Burke Granger of D1 Baseball:

“Here’s the 1st inning of Chase Burns’ electric Wake Forest debut. Topped at 101, had three other hundos on my gun. 66% strikes. 20 whiffs.

6IP, 3H, 0R, 1BB, 10K (W, 1-0).

FB: 95-100 (97 ave) | 2367-2731 spin | 14 s/m

SL: 85-91 (87 ave) | 2789-3010 spin | 6 s/m

CH: 89”

The “stuff” highlighted includes the RPM rate and velocity on his slider, a metric pointed out by Rob Friedman, also known as “Pitching Ninja” on social media:

“MLB Pitchers throwing 3000 RPM Sliders at over 91mph in 2023:

Joe Kelly 11

Matt Brash 8

Graham Ashcraft 2

Corbin Burnes 1”

These comparisons place Burns in esteemed company among the top arms in professional baseball. If Burns can sustain such impressive metrics, his draft stock is likely to soar even higher as the July draft approaches.

Furthermore, Burns’s performance is particularly remarkable given that he excels as a starter, unlike some of the aforementioned pitchers who primarily operate as relievers.

Among the noted MLB pitchers, the 35-year-old Joe Kelly is entering his 13th season in the majors, continuing his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile, Matt Brash is poised to enter his third year with the Seattle Mariners, establishing himself as a key reliever in the American League. Graham Ashcraft represents the Cincinnati Reds, while Corbin Burnes was recently traded to the Baltimore Orioles.