Two of the Reds’ youngest talents are headed to the MLB All-Star Game.The selections were announced on Saturday night, with Reds phenoms Chase Burns and Sal Stewart each bound for the MLB’s annual showcase of its top talent on July 14.Burns is a 23-year-old starting pitcher who has achieved an astounding 10-1 record over 17 starts this season while on the mound for the Reds. He also has an ERA of 2.40, the lowest amongst all of the Reds’ starting pitchers this season.Meanwhile, Stewart is a 22-year-old Reds rookie who already has gone on to lead the team in home runs and RBI’s this year. He also is in second for total runs and bases stolen, and is the only player to have made an appearance in every game so far this season for the Reds.This will mark the first career All-Star nod for both players, and for Stewart, it will make him just one of a small handful of Reds to ever earn the honor as a rookie. Despite this, Burns only made his major league debut two months before Stewart last year, narrowly causing him to miss out on being tagged with the rookie label this season.Both players have been rare bright spots on a Reds roster that has otherwise been defined by widespread struggles in recent months as the team desperately seeks to find an escape to their prolonged stay at the bottom of the National League Central division. While Burns has represented some of Cincinnati’s top capabilities on defense, Stewart in-turn has represented some of Cincinnati’s top capabilities on offense.“Yeah, it’s everything that I’ve dreamed of,” Burns, a native of Gallatin, Tennessee, said after learning that he had been awarded the All-Star honor. “A lot of hard work this offseason. Definitely watched a lot (of All-Star Games) growing up. There will be a bunch of future Hall of Famers in that game. Lots of emotions. It’s kind of scary. I’ll face three really good guys, hopefully, but yeah, just try to get out of that inning and take in that moment and be thankful.”Meanwhile, Stewart expressed shock after learning about the honor, saying that he was not at all expecting to be named to the team.“I’m just a young man trying to do my best, you know,” Stewart said after being awarded the All-Star honor. “I’m confident in myself, but I mean, this … I would watch the All-Star Game with my dad every year. I watched this growing up my whole life. I watched all my favorite players. I’m obviously shocked because, I mean, I just didn’t expect this, honestly.”Stewart, a native of Miami, Florida, went on to say that his very first call after being told that he would represent the Reds at the game was to his dad, who immediately got emotional.“He started crying. You know how emotional he gets,” said Stewart, alluding to other times that his dad has been captured on camera getting emotional when talking about his son.Stewart added that he was thrilled to be joining Burns in Philadelphia, calling him one of his closest friends on the Reds roster.“He’s not too shabby, man,” Stewart said. “He’s one of my best friends. He’s honestly the best, and he’s earned that. He deserves it. We get to enjoy it together.”The first pitch of the MLB All-Star game will be thrown out at 8 p.m. on July 14.The two will be joining dozens of other baseball stars from across the league, including Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Middletown native Kyle Schwarber.See the full MLB All-Star Game roster here.
PHILADELPHIA —
Two of the Reds’ youngest talents are headed to the MLB All-Star Game.
The selections were announced on Saturday night, with Reds phenoms Chase Burns and Sal Stewart each bound for the MLB’s annual showcase of its top talent on July 14.
Burns is a 23-year-old starting pitcher who has achieved an astounding 10-1 record over 17 starts this season while on the mound for the Reds. He also has an ERA of 2.40, the lowest amongst all of the Reds’ starting pitchers this season.
Meanwhile, Stewart is a 22-year-old Reds rookie who already has gone on to lead the team in home runs and RBI’s this year. He also is in second for total runs and bases stolen, and is the only player to have made an appearance in every game so far this season for the Reds.
This will mark the first career All-Star nod for both players, and for Stewart, it will make him just one of a small handful of Reds to ever earn the honor as a rookie. Despite this, Burns only made his major league debut two months before Stewart last year, narrowly causing him to miss out on being tagged with the rookie label this season.
Both players have been rare bright spots on a Reds roster that has otherwise been defined by widespread struggles in recent months as the team desperately seeks to find an escape to their prolonged stay at the bottom of the National League Central division. While Burns has represented some of Cincinnati’s top capabilities on defense, Stewart in-turn has represented some of Cincinnati’s top capabilities on offense.
“Yeah, it’s everything that I’ve dreamed of,” Burns, a native of Gallatin, Tennessee, said after learning that he had been awarded the All-Star honor. “A lot of hard work this offseason. Definitely watched a lot (of All-Star Games) growing up. There will be a bunch of future Hall of Famers in that game. Lots of emotions. It’s kind of scary. I’ll face three really good guys, hopefully, but yeah, just try to get out of that inning and take in that moment and be thankful.”
Meanwhile, Stewart expressed shock after learning about the honor, saying that he was not at all expecting to be named to the team.
“I’m just a young man trying to do my best, you know,” Stewart said after being awarded the All-Star honor. “I’m confident in myself, but I mean, this … I would watch the All-Star Game with my dad every year. I watched this growing up my whole life. I watched all my favorite players. I’m obviously shocked because, I mean, I just didn’t expect this, honestly.”
Stewart, a native of Miami, Florida, went on to say that his very first call after being told that he would represent the Reds at the game was to his dad, who immediately got emotional.
“He started crying. You know how emotional he gets,” said Stewart, alluding to other times that his dad has been captured on camera getting emotional when talking about his son.
Stewart added that he was thrilled to be joining Burns in Philadelphia, calling him one of his closest friends on the Reds roster.
“He’s not too shabby, man,” Stewart said. “He’s one of my best friends. He’s honestly the best, and he’s earned that. He deserves it. We get to enjoy it together.”
The first pitch of the MLB All-Star game will be thrown out at 8 p.m. on July 14.
The two will be joining dozens of other baseball stars from across the league, including Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Middletown native Kyle Schwarber.