Chase Burns dominates in MLB debut and ex-Reds catcher takes a victory lap

Reds fans will remember back in December of 2023 at the MLB Winter Meetings, Cincinnati's chances of winning the Draft Lottery were not great. In fact, the Cincinnati Reds had less than a 1% chance to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Fortunately, however, the Reds' good luck charm Devin Mesoraco came through in the clutch.

The former Reds backstop was the team's representative for the second annual MLB Draft Lottery. Mesoraco playful teased on social media prior to the event that his long, arduous tenure with the Reds — one that was littered with injuries — would act as an appeasement and offer Cincinnati good fortune during the draft lottery. It turns out, he was right.

The Reds landed the second-overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, and despite some fan outrage at the time, selected Wake Forest pitcher Chase Burns. On Tuesday, following Burns' MLB debut, Mesoraco took a victory lap, tagging the Reds in a social media post featuring The Office's Michael Scott with the caption, "You're welcome."

Chase Burns dominates in MLB debut vs. Yankees, ex-Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco takes a victory lap

Mesoraco had every reason to gloat after Burns' MLB debut against the New York Yankees. The fireballer stepped onto a Major League mound for the first time ever and struck out the first five batters he faced. After Jazz Chisholm reached on a single, Burns' ended the Yankees' threat in the second inning with another punch out.

On the night, Burns went five innings and allowed three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. That's quite the debut for a player who was in college this time last year. I think it's safe to say that Burns will be back on the bump next week when the Reds travel to Fenway Park for a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.

The Reds' bats were silenced against Yankees' starter Carlos Rodón, but teed off on reliever Jonathan Loáisiga. Once the right-hander enter the game, the Reds immediately tied the game in the seventh inning, and Gavin Lux's walk-off single in the 11th helped lead Cincinnati to a series win over the Bronx Bombers.

After the game, Burns told the media, "Everything I could ask for, to walk it off like that, to be in the dugout and see that. There’s nothing better than that." Burns himself did not get the win, but the team did, and Cincinnati has now won seven of their last 10 games and are just two games back in the NL Wild Card chase. Thank you, Devin Mesoraco.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors