Sometimes, one arm is all it takes to keep a season from slipping away. For the Cincinnati Reds, that arm belongs to Chase Burns—and on Saturday, he proved it once again.

Let’s be honest: the Reds are a mess in a lot of ways. Their team xERA is the worst in baseball at 5.21. Their offense? Fourth-worst in the league with an 87 wRC+, ahead of only the struggling Red Sox, Mets, and Giants. They just dropped eight straight games, including three gut-punch walk-off losses. And yet, somehow, they woke up Sunday morning just 1.5 games out of a playoff spot, sitting two games over .500 with a chance to take a series from the Houston Astros.

How? Chase Burns.

The injuries have been brutal. Ace Hunter Greene hasn’t thrown a pitch all season. Nick Lodolo has made just one start. Closer Emilio Pagán is out. Rotation depth in Brandon Williamson? Gone. Even Eugenio Suárez, who hasn’t looked like the 49-homer superstar of old, has been sidelined for two weeks with an oblique issue.

Meanwhile, the bats have gone quiet. Ke’Bryan Hayes and TJ Friedl, both nearing 30, look like shells of their former selves. Matt McLain’s 2023 magic feels like a distant memory. And Noelvi Marte? He’s stuck in that frustrating AAAA limbo alongside Rece Hinds.

But through all of that—through the injuries, the slumps, the eight-game skid—the Reds are still breathing. And they owe that to a 23-year-old right-hander who has been nothing short of spectacular.

Chase Burns leads all National League pitchers in Baseball-Reference WAR (2.1). His 2.11 ERA ranks third among qualified NL arms. He’s thrown 47.0 innings—tenth-most in the league—which is even more impressive given how much the rest of the rotation has leaned on a taxed bullpen.

Saturday was just the latest example. When the Reds needed a stopper, Burns delivered. And if he keeps this up, he might just be the one who saves Cincinnati’s season.