To begin the year for the Cincinnati Reds, they were dealt the crushing news that their ace, Hunter Greene, would be out for about half the season with elbow surgery. Greene returned on July 4, though he was roughed up by the Baltimore Orioles in his first start of the season.In Greene's absence, the Reds have struggled. But young flamethrower Chase Burns has stepped up in place of the Reds ace and helped lead Cincinnati to more than a handful of wins over the last few months.MLB.com's Jared Greenspan recently put together a list of the best starting pitchers in baseball this season. Burns ranked as the No. 6 starting pitcher in MLB, trailing Jacob Misiorowski, Cristopher Sanchez, Chris Sale, Cam Schlitter, and Shohei Ohtani.Chase Burns Has the Potential to be the Best Pitcher in MLBJul 2, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (26) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inining at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect"The Reds are on the verge of getting their ace back, with right-hander Hunter Greene nearing a return from elbow surgery. In Greene's absence, a co-ace emerged: Burns, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 Draft, has taken a star turn. According to Baseball Reference, he is the third-most valuable pitcher in baseball, with his 4.0 bWAR trailing only Sánchez (5.7) and Misiorowski (4.5). Through 16 starts, Burns owns a 2.36 ERA and a 185 ERA+, while his 30.5% strikeout rate is fifth highest among qualified starting pitchers. He does things his own way, too. In an era where starting pitchers are embracing diverse pitch arsenals, Burns relies almost exclusively on his fastball/slider combo."Burns has been the steady force for the Reds in a season that has been incredibly rocky. He's 10-1 on the year and hasn't suffered a loss since early April. The Reds are 13-4 in Burns' 17 starts this year. He's gone at least five innings in each start.With Greene missing until this week, the Reds needed a steadying force like this at the top of their rotation. Burns has been that and more. This breakout should be only the beginning for the 23-year-old righty. He has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the league, and Cincinnati is getting a look at that potential right now. If Burns can continue to dominate like this, he should find himself in the Cy Young race for the next few years, as long as he stays healthy and available.Make sure you bookmark Cincinnati Reds Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and daily coverage of the Cincinnati Reds! Follow Cincinnati Reds OnSI on Twitter/X: @RedsTalkSI. Like Our Cincinnati Reds On SI Facebook Page. Follow Cincinnati Reds On SI on Instagram.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow