Chase Burns, a highly touted right-handed pitcher from Wake Forest, made headlines with his record-breaking signing bonus of $9.25 million from the Cincinnati Reds, following his selection as the second overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft. This surpasses the previous record set by Paul Skenes, who received a $9.2 million bonus from the Pittsburgh Pirates after being the top pick in the 2023 draft.
Burns’ impressive fastball clocking 96-100 mph and a top-tier slider contributed to his status as the consensus best pitcher in the 2024 draft class. His collegiate career saw him excel at Tennessee before transferring to Wake Forest for his final season, where he set a school record with 191 strikeouts in 100 innings, boasting a 2.70 ERA.
Interestingly, another Wake Forest product, Rhett Lowder, who was drafted in 2023, also ended up with the Reds, but he did not play alongside Burns during their college careers.
With Burns’ signing, attention now turns to the remaining top picks like Travis Bazzana and Charlie Condon, who have until August 1 to negotiate their bonuses with their respective teams, potentially challenging or surpassing Burns’ record-breaking figure.
