Pirates Prospects has learned that the Pittsburgh Pirates have reached an agreement with 2011 7th round pick Jake Burnette, a right handed pitcher out of Buford High School in Georgia. Burnette’s deal is pending a physical.
Burnett is a 6′ 4″, 177 pound right handed pitcher who had a commitment to Georgia Tech. He throws in the high 80s, although his projectable frame could allow him to add velocity going forward. Aside from his fastball, he also throws a curveball and a changeup. The addition, once official, gives the Pirates 18 signings for the 2011 draft class, including six of the top ten picks so far.
UPDATE 9:09 AM Tuesday: I’m receiving more confirmation that Burnette has agreed to a deal, and that he signed the deal yesterday. I’d expect the deal to be officially announced today or tomorrow. I also received an update that he is up to 6′ 5″, 185 pounds now, and that he’s been throwing 90-91 MPH in the summer, topping out at 93.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
Very true.
All high school pitchers are projectable! Even Taillon is pojectable. It all comes down to who lives up to the potential and who doesn’t. You have to trust in what the scouts saw in them to want to draft the kid. Baseball drafts are just like hockey drafts they are crap shoots on high school kids. Every team drafts an obvious stud who does turn out great. Every team drafts an obvious stud who busts. Every team drafts a projectable player who busts and every team drafts a pojectible player who is the diamond in the rough and everyone complains on how their own team missed on an obvious star, along with every other team too! Give it a break
Projectable references the potential to add velocity to the fastball. It references guys who are tall and skinny. They are described as having projectable frames because they have the chance to add velocity as they grow in to their frames (adding weight, muscle, etc). Not all high school players have a projectable frame. For example, Zack Von Rosenberg had a projectable frame, and still does. He’s tall and skinny, and can add velocity as he grows in to his frame. Colton Cain isn’t projectable. He already has grown in to his frame, which makes it unlikely that he’s going to improve on his current velocity.
Need to sign Bell – need to sign high-end bats.
2 more huge one’s to go! Numbers 1 & 2!!
2 more huge one’s to go! Numbers 1 & 2!!
Another projectable pitcher. My day is complete.
Another projectable pitcher. My day is complete.