Adrian Burnside

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #23 prospect in 2003
  When the Tigers decided they had several first-base options and didn't want to go to arbitration with Randall Simon, they traded him to the Pirates for three minor leaguers. Burnside, who has been traded twice and claimed in the major league Rule 5 draft once, was the most advanced of the prospects. Though 26, he hasn't pitched above Double-A and has been stuck at that level for the last three seasons. Yet Burnside intrigues scouts because he's a lefthander who consistently tops 90 mph and sometimes reaches the mid-90s. He also flashes an excellent slider. His problem is that he lacks command. His changeup and overall feel for pitching also leave something to be desired. Primarily a starter throughout his career, he may have more of a future as a reliever. Burnside should get his first crack at Triple-A in 2003.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #8 prospect in 2002
  Burnside may have looked like a throw-in in the 2001 deadline deal that saw the Pirates ship Terry Mulholland to the Dodgers for Mike Fetters. But the Pirates coveted Burnside, and he was the primary reason they made the deal. He made six starts with Altoona after the trade, and the Pirates were pleased with what they saw there and in the Arizona Fall League. Burnside is a rare lefthander in that his fastball reaches 93 mph and he isn't afraid to throw inside. He also has a hard slider with a sharp break. He proved he was healthy in 2001 after arthroscopic elbow surgery that cost him the chance to pitch for his native Australia in the Sydney Olympics. Burnside has yet to develop his changeup, which could prevent him from becoming a major league starter. He also didn't take up baseball until his late teens and is still learning the game. He's a happy-go-lucky guy, causing some to question his intensity. Burnside figures to begin the 2002 season in the Nashville rotation. Whether he winds up a starter or reliever remains to be seen, but he has a decent chance to reach Pittsburgh in 2002.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #15 prospect in 2001
  Before tendinitis and other elbow problems shelved him for the season, Burnside joined fellow Australian Luke Prokopec as two of Los Angeles' few bright spots at the Double-A level last year. The Dodgers were concerned late in the season when Burnside's elbow didn't improve after he was sent to minor league rehab and feared he had contracted Lyme disease when he had discomfort in his knee and ankle joints, but that didn't prove to be the case. He was slated to pitch for Australia in the Olympics before he got hurt. Burnside has outstanding arm strength for a lefthander, which led the Reds to select him in the major league Rule 5 draft after the 1999 season. His fastball has been clocked as high as 94 mph, and he throws an average changeup that has improved over the past two years. Burnside's albatross always has been both his command and control, or lack thereof. He tends to become too fine and goes deeper into counts than he should. He's a candidate to pitch at Las Vegas this season.