"I'm not POO-POOING it... But he has never seen him." - Tito on Chase Burns striking out Juan Soto

Chase Burns vs. Juan Soto on May 26, 2026, delivered a classic young ace vs. superstar slugger showdown at Citi Field. The Cincinnati Reds' rising right-hander Burns (entering with a sparkling ~1.83 ERA) faced the New York Mets' Juan Soto, who returned from a brief illness absence.

Burns dominated early. In the first inning, he struck out Soto on just three pitches, showcasing elite command and stuff that had Mets hitters off balance. He carried a one-hit shutout into the sixth, striking out eight overall while allowing just four hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. His season dominance continued—Burns improved to 7-1 with a sub-2.00 ERA, baffling lefty-heavy Mets lineups.

Soto, however, made his mark in his second at-bat against the rookie. With one out in the bottom of the sixth and Bo Bichette on base (trailing 6-0), Soto crushed an inner-half fastball from Burns for a two-run homer to right-center (his 11th of the season and seventh in his last 11 games). The 384-foot blast ended Burns' night and gave the Mets their only offense in a 7-2 loss.

The at-bats highlighted contrasting styles: Burns' precision and swing-and-miss arsenal (high strikeout rate) against Soto's elite plate discipline and power. Soto went 1-for-3 with the homer and a strikeout. Burns earned the win in a strong outing that lowered his recent ERA even further.

This matchup underscored Burns' emergence as a frontline starter and Soto's ability to punish mistakes even against top pitching. Reds took the series; Burns keeps rolling as one of MLB's hottest arms.