I already know I’m going to get killed for this one.
But hey… it’s hot take season right now for the Reds and these kinds of takes are fun to talk through.
I’m drinking all the Reds Kool-Aid right now. Geno is back in town, Elly’s jacked, and Chase Burns looks filthy.
My first hot take is that Spencer Steer is going to have a breakout, potentially an All-Star level season.
My second hot take is that Chase Burns should be the team’s closer.
Sounds crazy, right? Like why would you waste the #2 overall pick as your closer?
Let’s back up to yesterday…
Tito Francona met with his team for the first time today. It’s usually the time you send a clear message to all the guys looking to accomplish a common goal. A message that sends excitement through every player, every staff member, and every fan.
Tito’s message was… “It’s time.”
The ole Skipper gets it.
He didn’t come back at the age off 66 years old with the accomplishments he has to wait around much longer.
He’s like all of us. This young Reds core has been around for some time now. The time is now.
When you have a talent like Elly De La Cruz in town, there’s no time to sit around.
So the goal of this 2026 Reds team is to put the best version of yourself together and go see if you can make a run.
The best version of this Reds team means putting Chase Burns as the closer. But under one excpetion.
Somebody like Rhett Lowder or Brandon Williamson step up and can fulfill that #5 starting pitching spot.
I get the argument “Why would you waste the #2 overall pick as a closer?”
But my rebuttal to that is he doesn’t have to remain the closer. You can easily move him back into a starting pitching role at any time. Guys in the majors play different positions all the time.
A kid like with the talent of Chase Burns will have no problem making a transition either which way.
My next point is his swing and miss stuff is off the charts. And that’s exactly what you need as a closer. A guy who won’t walk guys and doesn’t allow contact.
Emilio Pagan was a fine closer… but he didn’t have that ‘take your breath away’ stuff that gets guys to swing and miss. Chase Burns does.
Check out Burns’ swing and miss rate. It is well above the major league average. And his slider is that much better.
Pair his high 90s, high moving fastball with his best pitch – his slider. That’s swing and miss stuff. Not to mention, he’s talked about how much his changeup has improved since last season too, so if he can add that 3rd pitch to his repertoire, he becomes that much more dangerous.
Baseball is as equally mental as it is physical. A lot of times the best players in this game are guys who are mentally strong and “built for the moment.”
Being the closer, Burns will constantly be thrusted into high leverage, high pressure spots. As much as some people may say this doesn’t matter, turning Burns into more of a competitor is by no means a bad thing.
With this being said, the goal of the 2026 Reds is to put the best version of yourself on the field because “It’s time.”
The best version of the 2026 Cincinnati Reds includes a closer with nasty swing and miss stuff.
Insert: Closer Chase Burns.
