A.J. Burnett
| IP | 2731 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.988 |
| WHIP | 1.325 |
| BB/9 | 3.625 |
| SO/9 | 8.282 |
- Full name Allan James Burnett
- Born 01/03/1977 in North Little Rock, AR
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Central Arkansas Christian
- Debut 08/17/1999
- Drafted in the 8th round (217th overall) by the New York Mets in 1995.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Background: After rocketing to the top of the Marlins organization with his breakout 1998 season, Burnett struggled mightily to live up to the hype. He made a strong push for a spot in the big league rotation out of spring training, nearly jumping from Class A to the majors. Sent back to Double-A Portland, Burnett fell into a rut early and kept digging a deeper hole. By late July he was exiled to the bullpen for three appearances, where he seemed to clear his head. Then, lightning struck. On a whim the Marlins promoted him for a mid-August spot start at Dodger Stadium. The kid with the silver nipple rings, tattoos and Marilyn Manson predilection thrived in the spotlight, allowing just one run over 5 2/3 innings. Burnett, who joined the organization in the February 1998 trade that sent lefthander Al Leiter to the Mets, returned to the minors for one more start before rejoining the Marlins rotation for the rest of the year. Strengths: Even when he was getting hit at Portland, Burnett's stuff was exemplary. His fastball tops out at 95 mph with excellent movement, but it's his spike curve that makes him downright nasty. The break on the pitch is so hard and so violent that umpires--even big league umpires--frequently missed it. His changeup was much improved. If it's possible, Burnett's makeup is even better than his stuff. He is willing to pitch inside. He is unafraid. Weaknesses: Impatience was Burnett's biggest enemy this season. Having come so close to making the roster out of spring training, he had little tolerance for his (or his fielders') mistakes at Portland. His 16 wild pitches illustrated his tendency to overthrow, and nearly 19 percent of his runs allowed were unearned. He struggled often with his command. Burnett became frustrated in the minors, but seemed more at home against better competition. The Future: Based on his late-season audition and undeniable arsenal, Burnett enters the spring penciled into the big league rotation. He figures to ease into the role as the fourth starter, but it won't be long before he climbs toward the top of that list too. -
Background: Drafted by the Mets out of tiny Central Arkansas Christian High, Burnett was brought along slowly in that organization. He was kept him in short-season and rookie leagues for three years as he grew into his body. A broken ankle also slowed his progress. Desperate for a front-line starter last February, they reluctantly included Burnett in the Al Leiter deal, then watched in shock as Burnett put together one of the great pitching seasons in recent memory. At the time of the trade, Burnett had three screws in his broken pitching hand. He suffered the injury in a bizarre offseason accident, using his bare hand to protect himself from an overthrow. Burnett missed the first seven weeks of the season, then made up for lost time with an incredible display of power pitching. He led the minors with 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings, ranked second in batting average allowed (.179) and was third in ERA. He had 11 games with double-digit strikeouts. Tempting as it was, the Marlins decided not to promote him and let Burnett build confidence over a full Midwest League season. Strengths: Burnett's fastball alone was enough to eat up Class A hitters. It runs in the mid-90s with good movement and has touched 97 mph. He has three average to above-average pitches, including a sharp-breaking curve and an improving changeup that project him as a rotation-topping starter. A fierce competitor, Burnett is not afraid to make a mistake, loves to challenge hitters and won't back down. He already knows how to work the inside of the plate for strikes. He has an ideal pitcher's frame, lean muscles and a loose, powerful delivery that can be very deceptive. His makeup is excellent as he shows a willingness to make adjustments and correct mistakes on his own. Weaknesses: Like all young pitchers, Burnett still must work on his command. He can be inconsistent with his changeup and his curveball, thrown with a raised forefinger like a knuckle-curve, tends to flatten out and get slurvy. He can leave pitches up in the zone. Strikeouts usually come naturally for Burnett, but he still has a tendency to try to muscle up and throw even harder at times. The Future: Burnett spent the winter in Melbourne, Fla., working out at the Marlins' minor league complex. He will start the 1999 season at Double-A Portland, but if he continues his recent career arc a taste of the big leagues is not unrealistic sometime in 2000.
