Enrique Burgos

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #29 prospect in 2015
  Burgos has often teased as an intriguing arm with little command and limited pitchability. He figured it out in 2014 with a strong season in the high Class A Visalia bullpen, earning a spot on the 40-man roster. The key for Burgos' improvement was a bump in velocity, with a fastball now up to a lively 99 mph, and enough control to get by. He struck out a career-best 13.7 per nine innings and matched his best walk rate (4.3 per nine) in 2014. The big-bodied Burgos delivers his pitches with a live, loose arm, with a max-effort delivery that he doesn't always repeat. He also throws a plus slider in the mid-80s that gives him a pitch to complement the heater. Burgos profiles as a seventh-inning reliever and is still a bit of a wild card, but he just turned 24 and will move up to Double-A Mobile in 2015.
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  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #24 prospect in 2010
  The Diamondbacks shy away from big-bonus players in Latin America, preferring instead to spread their money among several players each summer. Burgos, who signed for $295,000 out of Panama in 2007, received the largest bonus Arizona has given to an international player since Josh Byrnes became general manager. His father Enrique Sr. pitched briefly in the majors. Burgos got hammered in his U.S. debut last summer, which was to be expected with an 18-year-old pitching in an extreme hitter's league against older competition. His stuff is much more impressive than his 6.26 ERA at Missoula. He sits at 90-94 mph with a fastball that flashes cutting and sinking action, not necessarily by design. He throws a 79-83 mph slurve with sharp three-quarters break. He also has a solid 80-83 mph changeup. Burgos has a loose arm and delivers the ball from a high three-quarters slot, creating good angle to the plate. He has long arms and his delivery can get awkward at times, costing him control. He'll have to polish his mechanics and avoid overthrowing. Burgos probably will open 2010 in extended spring training before reporting to Yakima or Missoula in June.