Reds star Chase Burns deserves far more Cy Young buzz than he’s getting

Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns has been nothing short of a revelation in 2026, effectively replacing the injured Hunter Greene as the team's ace. Andrew Abbott has taken a step back from his All-Star performance a year ago, not to mention a collective ERA over 5.00 from Brady Singer and Nick Lodolo, so it's safe to say that Burns' evolution has been the most important development for the organization this season.

Averaging nearly six innings per outing, the 23-year-old is currently responsible for a sterling 2.05 ERA, which he's backing up with elite strikeout (29.7%) and walk (7.7%) rates. No matter how you slice it, he's been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year and should be considered a lock to represent the Reds at the Midsummer Classic.

The problem? He's doing all of this in what's quickly becoming a banner year for elite pitching, as he currently finds himself on the outside looking in on the National League Cy Young Award race.

Reds starter Chase Burns has entered the CY Young conversation

According to most outsets, Burns has the sixth-highest odds to win the Cy Young Award. That might feels ridiculous given his consistent dominance, but unfortunately, he's competing with a murderer's row of top-tier pitchers, ranging from reigning winner Paul Skenes to record-setter Christoper Sánchez.

The above chart ranks the players by fWAR, which places Burns last among the contingent. His FIP is also the only one over 3.00, but his ERA and strikeout rate are so phenomenal that it feels like that outlier shouldn't matter.

The biggest thing working against Burns at the moment is his workload; he's expected to be shut down (or severely limited) once he starts to creep close to the 140-inning threshold -- a mark he's quickly closing in on. That could be a death knell to his chances, but he's been so good that it's hard to imagine the Reds without him down the stretch.

Misiorowski and Sánchez are the clear frontrunners after putting on a show for the ages during the month of May, but that won't preclude others from using the summer months to challenge their spots atop the mountain. If the Reds are willing to give Burns enough work to stay attached, he should be a prime contender for the 2026 Cy Young Award once the regular season concludes.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow