After the rapid emergence of Roansy Contreras in 2021 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, heads turned to this past season to see if the system could produce another breakout starter on the mound.
A former 11th round pick out of high school, Mike Burrows seemed poised for a big season after mastering the hitter friendly confines in Greensboro (2.10 ERA in six games), but there were plenty of questions the righty needed to answer before he can really break loose.
One was pitching an entire season in the system. Not only did the shutdown of the 2020 minor league season cost Burrows potentially his first full season in the minors (drafted in 2018, but spent 2019 in short-season West Virginia), but he also missed time in 2021 with an oblique injury. Burrows was able to make some of those innings back in the Arizona Fall League, but entering 2022 he had yet to pitch more than 50 innings during a minor league regular season.
Burrows answered that call, and despite missing time with another injury, he logged a career high 94.1 innings across two levels, finishing one stop short of the majors.
Here’s Michael Burrows getting a strikeout to end the inning. #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/5YKaqINsjS
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) April 16, 2022
The second big key for Burrows was adding to his already lethal fastball/curveball combination. Armed with one of the better curves in the system, Burrows lacked the use of a third pitch to give him more of a starter’s arsenal as opposed to a potential reliever.
Once again he answered that, putting emphasis on using the changeup, even in situations he may be more comfortable throwing another pitch. The results were positive, as the changeup became a pitch he could eventually use to strike hitters out, or throw for strikes.
After tearing through Double-A, much like Contreras the year before, and missing time with an injury, Burrows fell just short of making a last minute start with the Pirates. He certainly put himself in a position to be one of the first options up from Triple-A next year (he’s rule 5 eligible, so it’s likely he ends up on the 40-man roster anyways, furthering helping his cause).
While Burrows emerged as one of the top pitchers in the Pirates system, and a top 100 overall prospect in multiple outlets, there will still be a few things he will still need to answer before becoming a full-time starter in Pittsburgh.
One is staying healthy. He’s dealt with injuries in each of the last two seasons — one cut his year short before returning to the AFL, the other he came back just in time to make one more start in Triple-A. He did double his innings from the year prior, and all indications are that the Pirates stayed on the side of caution with Burrows as far as easing him back this season.
He’s still going to have to show he can stay off the injured list if he wants to remain a starter, as up to this season there was some talk about him being a potential reliever.
Michael Burrows getting a fly out to center. U can see that great curveball at the beginning of the at bat #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/SrtLfjRiDl
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) April 16, 2022
The next will be to put his Triple-A numbers behind him and show that he is closer to his results in Altoona. Fatigue and his injury could be argued about as to why he may have struggled with Indianapolis, but he also got hit around quite a bit in his last Double-A start, and just never seemed to fully recover.
His strikeout rate dropped by nearly 10% (32.4% to 23.3%) after making the jump up to Indianapolis, and his ERA was nearly two and a half runs higher as well.
Of all the prospects that are expected to make their debut next season for the Pirates, Burrows will be towards the top when it comes to the hype surrounding him. But like any other prospect, there is still work to be done with Burrows, although he’s been able to answer any challenge presented to him to this point.
