Terry Francona won’t say this Chase Burns reality out loud but Reds fans already know the truth

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona resisted the urge to call Chase Burns the team's ace, but deep down inside he knows it to be true. Burns isn't just the Reds' best pitcher, but he's been one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball this season, and he could be tracking toward the Cy Young Award if he's given enough runway.

“I think he's special now, but what he grows into will be what he grows into. I don't need to sit here and put a number on him or something; that's not fair. As long as he does the best he can to be as good as he can, we'll do what we need to do," Francona told reporters after Burns' start against the Philadelphia Phillies last week.

Burns is putting up otherworldly numbers to begin the 2026 season. Though some thought he might not even part of the Reds' Opening Day rotation, the fireballer has quickly become one of the most electric arms in the league.

Heading into his next start on Monday against the New York Mets, Burns is 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA and 3.40 FIP across 59 innings of work. He's struck out 28.2% of the batters he's faced thus far in 2026, but his 7.9% walk-rate might be even more impressive.

Among qualified NL starting pitchers, only Christopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies has a lower ERA (1.82). Burns' 1.5 fWAR trails only three National League starters — Sanchez (2.5), Jacob Misiorowski (2.2), and Paul Skenes (1.6).

Chase Burns may have already replaced Hunter Greene as the Reds' ace

When Hunter Greene returns from the injured list, he'll have some competition for the top spot in the Reds' rotation. The right-hander has been sidelined since spring training after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow. He's progressing in his rehab, but isn't expected to return to the Major League roster until closer to July.

Injuries have plagued Greene's professional career, and many Reds fans are beginning to see the shine wear off. Durability concerns can quickly cause fans to sour on players, especially those who are essential to the team's success. It appears as though that's what is happening to Greene.

Greene can quickly dispel any notion that he's been replaced as the team's ace, but he'll need to return to the level of dominance that he enjoyed prior to his elbow injury. The flamethrower made just 19 starts last season and was sidelined twice with injury, but when he was on the bump, Greene owned a 2.76 ERA and 31.4% strikeout rate.

It's possible that the Reds could have a pair of aces later this season, but Greene has a lot of making up to do in order to return to reclaim the mantle that clearly belongs to Burns at the moment.

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