Reds July 2025 Thread

[*ochocincos*]

Strikeouts are fun, but Burns needs to perhaps dial it down a few mphs and get better location so that he doesn't continually get tagged for a few runs and ran out of there before 6.0 IP.

Burns has only made it to 6.0 IP once in 6 starts.

The slider looks nice and the fastball is fast, but the placement needs to be better.
Burns uses his fastball 57% of the time and his slider 35% of the time, with only 8% of his pitches going toward a combo of a changeup and curve.
As others have said, he needs to develop a third pitch and use it more, reducing the reliance on the fastball so much.
I'd prefer he learn to throw a sinker, as that could be valuable in GABP, but maybe throw the changeup more if anything.

We may not need to worry about this (early) next year though, as Greene, Abbott, and Lodolo are locked into rotational spots, Singer might be back (although is he worth the likely $10+ mill he'll expect for his 4th ARB and final year under contract?), and Lowder should hopefully be ready to go by camp.
That may allow Burns to start the season at AAA and focus on his pitch diversity.
Burns may also be better suited for the BP, as he seems to do a lot better against the order the first time but they start to catch on the 2nd and especially 3rd time through the order.