Mike Burrows

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #14 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: After spending his high school days in Connecticut, Burrows was slated to join the home-state Huskies for his collegiate career. Instead, the Pirates came calling in the 11th round and signed him for $500,000. He got to the upper levels in 2022 and also made an appearance in Dodger Stadium for the Futures Game. He’s missed significant time with injuries, including ones to his oblique in 2021, shoulder in 2022 and Tommy John surgery in April of 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: At his best, Burrows works primarily with two pitches: a mid-90s four-seam fastball with plenty of carry through the zone and a 77-81 mph downer curveball with spin rates that average around 2,900 rpm. In tandem, the two pitches create a powerful north-south attack. He also mixes in a changeup in the mid 80s. The Pirates believe he can get the pitch to average, and he threw it more often in 2022, but the injury and missed development time have curtailed that progress. The Pirates were also planning to add a second breaking ball to his mix that could have helped him navigate lineups second and third times in his quest to remain a starter. He has a repeatable delivery and an overhand slot with potentially average control.
  
  The Future: Before the injury, Burrows had a path to becoming a No. 4 starter with the fallback of landing as a powerful reliever toward the end of a game. After a return from the surgery, the latter path is more likely. He could make his big league debut in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #9 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Burrows, a Connecticut high school product, expected to honor his commitment to UConn in 2018 until the Pirates swooped in and signed him to an above-slot $500,000 deal in the 11th round. The 22-year-old reached the upper levels for the first time in 2022, pitching 94.1 innings across Double-A and Triple-A, and also appeared in the Futures Game. Health prevented Burrows from pitching a full season for the second consecutive year. He spent a month on the injured list with a shoulder injury late in the season after he had missed two months in 2021 with an oblique injury.
  
  Scouting Report: Burrows has built a reputation as a two-pitch data darling. His plus 93-95 mph fastball has some of the best carry of any four-seamer in Pittsburgh's system. He pairs it with a 77-81 mph hammer of a curveball that routinely surpasses spin rates of 2,900 rpm. Burrows' one inning at the Futures Game showed a glimpse of how the two pitches work in tandem in short bursts by generating five total whiffs and earning the distinction of best fastball and breaking pitch at the game. Burrows needs a third pitch to take a step forward to remain on a starter's track. The Pirates are bullish on Burrows' mid-80s changeup, and he finally threw it more in 2022. As a result, he flashed solid-average potential and more feel for the pitch. Pittsburgh may also explore adding a second, shorter breaking ball to his arsenal to help turn over lineups more efficiently. Burrows throws plenty of strikes via a repeatable delivery that uses a short arm path and over-the-top release, though some evaluators see more control than command.
  
  The Future: Burrows presents potential to become a No. 4 starter, though the allure of deploying him as a multi-inning power reliever remains strong. He should arrive in Pittsburgh at some point in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #8 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The Pirates bought Burrows out of a Connecticut commitment in 2018 with a $500,000 bonus, hoping to unlock a cold-weather prep pitcher with intriguing spin rates. Burrows showed flashes as a 19-year-old in the short-season New York-Penn League in 2019, then added strength to his frame during the Covid-19 shutdown. He joined High-A Greensboro’s rotation in 2021 and dominated when healthy, striking out 66 hitters in 49 innings, but he missed nearly two months with an oblique injury. The Pirates sent Burrows to the Arizona Fall League to recoup some of those lost innings after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Burrows primarily torments hitters with two plus offerings. His fastball, previously in the low 90s at the start of his pro career, now sits 94-97 mph thanks to his strength gains. The pitch has plenty of ride to miss barrels at the top of the strike zone. His high-spin, upper-70s curveball plays off his fastball with hard vertical break, and he’s comfortable throwing it in any count. The Pirates believe his third pitch, a mid-80s changeup, has potential, but Burrows rarely throws it in games, and few external evaluators have seen it. One of Burrows’ Arizona Fall League objectives was to use his changeup more and become comfortable using it behind in counts. Burrows’ command can waver at times, leading to efficiency issues, and he has yet to throw more than 50 innings in a season.
  
  The Future: Burrows has No. 4 starter potential if his changeup develops. Even if it doesn’t, he could settle into a high-leverage role either as a closer or multi-inning battering ram equipped with two devastating pitches.
  
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #24 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates took Burrows in the 11th round in 2018 and gave him an above-slot $500,000 bonus--fourth-round money--to forgo a commitment to Connecticut. He quickly showed more polish than a typical high school pitcher and spent his first full season as a starter in the college-heavy New York-Penn League. The Pirates brought him to instructional league in 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Burrows' mid-90s fastball touches as high as 96 mph with good sinking movement. His curveball has some late break, grading as above-average with the chance to be an out pitch in the future. Burrows' solid frame suggests he's capable of compiling innings in the rotation. His fringe-average changeup will need improvement and he walked 4.1 batters per nine innings in 2019, but his control has average upside. He has rapidly shown improvements in his velocity and breaking stuff and has room to make further gains.
  
  THE FUTURE: Burrows has the potential to be a back-of-the-rotation starter or a multi-inning reliever working off his fastball/curveball combination. He is set to begin 2021 at one of the Class A levels.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #13 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates made Burrows their 11th-round pick in 2018 and signed him away from Connecticut for an above-slot $500,000 signing bonus. Burrows quickly established he was more advanced than the typical Northeast prep arm. The Pirates typically send their drafted high school pitchers to the Rookie-level Appalachian League for their first season, but Burrows impressed enough in extended spring training to make the jump to the college-heavy New York-Penn League.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Burrows saw an increase in his fastball velocity, hitting 93-95 mph more consistently, after being in the low 90s in 2018. His fastball has good sink and he pairs it with a slider that features sharp, late break. Burrows lacked control at times, but his fastball/slider combination was good enough to get him 43 strikeouts in 43.2 innings with short-season West Virginia. He spent the year working on his changeup and developed more of a feel for the pitch throughout the season. There's not a lot of projection left for Burrows' frame, but he might not need it with his current velocity and how well his fastball and slider play off each other.
  
  THE FUTURE: Burrows has the makings of a potential back-end starter. He can move closer to that goal in 2020 with improvements to his control and changeup.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Burrows, a Connecticut high school product, expected to honor his commitment to UConn in 2018 until the Pirates swooped in and signed him to an above-slot $500,000 deal in the 11th round. The 22-year-old reached the upper levels for the first time in 2022, pitching 94.1 innings across Double-A and Triple-A, and also appeared in the Futures Game. Health prevented Burrows from pitching a full season for the second consecutive year. He spent a month on the injured list with a shoulder injury late in the season after he had missed two months in 2021 with an oblique injury.
  
  Scouting Report: Burrows has built a reputation as a two-pitch data darling. His plus 93-95 mph fastball has some of the best carry of any four-seamer in Pittsburgh's system. He pairs it with a 77-81 mph hammer of a curveball that routinely surpasses spin rates of 2,900 rpm. Burrows' one inning at the Futures Game showed a glimpse of how the two pitches work in tandem in short bursts by generating five total whiffs and earning the distinction of best fastball and breaking pitch at the game. Burrows needs a third pitch to take a step forward to remain on a starter's track. The Pirates are bullish on Burrows' mid-80s changeup, and he finally threw it more in 2022. As a result, he flashed solid-average potential and more feel for the pitch. Pittsburgh may also explore adding a second, shorter breaking ball to his arsenal to help turn over lineups more efficiently. Burrows throws plenty of strikes via a repeatable delivery that uses a short arm path and over-the-top release, though some evaluators see more control than command.
  
  The Future: Burrows presents potential to become a No. 4 starter, though the allure of deploying him as a multi-inning power reliever remains strong. He should arrive in Pittsburgh at some point in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Burrows, a Connecticut high school product, expected to honor his commitment to UConn in 2018 until the Pirates swooped in and signed him to an above-slot $500,000 deal in the 11th round. The 22-year-old reached the upper levels for the first time in 2022, pitching 94.1 innings across Double-A and Triple-A, and also appeared in the Futures Game. Health prevented Burrows from pitching a full season for the second consecutive year. He spent a month on the injured list with a shoulder injury late in the season after he had missed two months in 2021 with an oblique injury.
  
  Scouting Report: Burrows has built a reputation as a two-pitch data darling. His plus 93-95 mph fastball has some of the best carry of any four-seamer in Pittsburgh's system. He pairs it with a 77-81 mph hammer of a curveball that routinely surpasses spin rates of 2,900 rpm. Burrows' one inning at the Futures Game showed a glimpse of how the two pitches work in tandem in short bursts by generating five total whiffs and earning the distinction of best fastball and breaking pitch at the game. Burrows needs a third pitch to take a step forward to remain on a starter's track. The Pirates are bullish on Burrows' mid-80s changeup, and he finally threw it more in 2022. As a result, he flashed solid-average potential and more feel for the pitch. Pittsburgh may also explore adding a second, shorter breaking ball to his arsenal to help turn over lineups more efficiently. Burrows throws plenty of strikes via a repeatable delivery that uses a short arm path and over-the-top release, though some evaluators see more control than command.
  
  The Future: Burrows presents potential to become a No. 4 starter, though the allure of deploying him as a multi-inning power reliever remains strong. He should arrive in Pittsburgh at some point in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Pittsburgh bought Burrows out of a UConn commitment in 2018 with a $500,000 bonus, hoping to unlock a cold-weather prep arm with intriguing spin rates. Burrows showed flashes as a 19-year-old in the New York-Penn League in 2019, then added strength to his frame during the Covid-19 shutdown. He joined High-A Greensboro&#39s loaded rotation in 2021 and dominated when healthy, striking out 34% of hitters in 49 innings, but he missed nearly two months with an oblique injury. Pittsburgh sent Burrows to the Arizona Fall League to recoup some of those lost innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Burrows primarily torments hitters with two plus offerings. His fastball, previously in the low 90s at the start of his pro career, now sits 94-97 thanks to his strength gains and has plenty of ride to miss barrels at the top of the strike zone. His high-spin, upper-70s curveball plays off the fastball with hard vertical break, and he&#39s comfortable throwing it in any count. The Pirates believe his third pitch, a mid-80s changeup, has plus potential. But Burrows didn&#39t provide many opportunities for evaluators to assess it, rarely throwing it in games. One of Burrows&#39 Arizona Fall League objectives was to utilize the changeup more and become comfortable using it behind in counts. Burrows&#39 command can waver at times, leading to efficiency issues, and he has yet to throw more than 50 innings in a season.
  
  The Future: Burrows has mid-rotation potential if the changeup continues to develop. Even if it doesn&#39t, he could settle into a high-leverage role either as a closer or multi-inning battering ram equipped with two devastating pitches.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Changeup: 45. Control: 45.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Pirates bought Burrows out of a Connecticut commitment in 2018 with a $500,000 bonus, hoping to unlock a cold-weather prep pitcher with intriguing spin rates. Burrows showed flashes as a 19-year-old in the short-season New York-Penn League in 2019, then added strength to his frame during the Covid-19 shutdown. He joined High-A Greensboro’s rotation in 2021 and dominated when healthy, striking out 66 hitters in 49 innings, but he missed nearly two months with an oblique injury. The Pirates sent Burrows to the Arizona Fall League to recoup some of those lost innings after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Burrows primarily torments hitters with two plus offerings. His fastball, previously in the low 90s at the start of his pro career, now sits 94-97 mph thanks to his strength gains. The pitch has plenty of ride to miss barrels at the top of the strike zone. His high-spin, upper-70s curveball plays off his fastball with hard vertical break, and he’s comfortable throwing it in any count. The Pirates believe his third pitch, a mid-80s changeup, has potential, but Burrows rarely throws it in games, and few external evaluators have seen it. One of Burrows’ Arizona Fall League objectives was to use his changeup more and become comfortable using it behind in counts. Burrows’ command can waver at times, leading to efficiency issues, and he has yet to throw more than 50 innings in a season.
  
  The Future: Burrows has No. 4 starter potential if his changeup develops. Even if it doesn’t, he could settle into a high-leverage role either as a closer or multi-inning battering ram equipped with two devastating pitches.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates took Burrows in the 11th round in 2018 and gave him an above-slot $500,000 bonus--fourth-round money--to forgo a commitment to Connecticut. He quickly showed more polish than a typical high school pitcher and spent his first full season as a starter in the college-heavy New York-Penn League. The Pirates brought him to instructional league in 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Burrows' mid-90s fastball touches as high as 96 mph with good sinking movement. His curveball has some late break, grading as above-average with the chance to be an out pitch in the future. Burrows' solid frame suggests he's capable of compiling innings in the rotation. His fringe-average changeup will need improvement and he walked 4.1 batters per nine innings in 2019, but his control has average upside. He has rapidly shown improvements in his velocity and breaking stuff and has room to make further gains.
  
  THE FUTURE: Burrows has the potential to be a back-of-the-rotation starter or a multi-inning reliever working off his fastball/curveball combination. He is set to begin 2021 at one of the Class A levels.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates took Burrows in the 11th round in 2018 and gave him an above-slot $500,000 bonus--fourth-round money--to forgo a commitment to Connecticut. He quickly showed more polish than a typical high school pitcher and spent his first full season as a starter in the college-heavy New York-Penn League. The Pirates brought him to instructional league in 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Burrows' mid-90s fastball touches as high as 96 mph with good sinking movement. His curveball has some late break, grading as above-average with the chance to be an out pitch in the future. Burrows' solid frame suggests he's capable of compiling innings in the rotation. His fringe-average changeup will need improvement and he walked 4.1 batters per nine innings in 2019, but his control has average upside. He has rapidly shown improvements in his velocity and breaking stuff and has room to make further gains.
  
  THE FUTURE: Burrows has the potential to be a back-of-the-rotation starter or a multi-inning reliever working off his fastball/curveball combination. He is set to begin 2021 at one of the Class A levels.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates took Burrows in the 11th round in 2018 and gave him an above-slot $500,000 bonus--fourth-round money--to forgo a commitment to Connecticut. He quickly showed more polish than a typical high school pitcher and spent his first full season as a starter in the college-heavy New York-Penn League. The Pirates brought him to instructional league in 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Burrows' mid-90s fastball touches as high as 96 mph with good sinking movement. His curveball has some late break, grading as above-average with the chance to be an out pitch in the future. Burrows' solid frame suggests he's capable of compiling innings in the rotation. His fringe-average changeup will need improvement and he walked 4.1 batters per nine innings in 2019, but his control has average upside. He has rapidly shown improvements in his velocity and breaking stuff and has room to make further gains.
  
  THE FUTURE: Burrows has the potential to be a back-of-the-rotation starter or a multi-inning reliever working off his fastball/curveball combination. He is set to begin 2021 at one of the Class A levels.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates made Burrows their 11th-round pick in 2018 and signed him away from Connecticut for an above-slot $500,000 signing bonus. Burrows quickly established he was more advanced than the typical Northeast prep arm. The Pirates typically send their drafted high school pitchers to the Rookie-level Appalachian League for their first season, but Burrows impressed enough in extended spring training to make the jump to the college-heavy New York-Penn League.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Burrows saw an increase in his fastball velocity, hitting 93-95 mph more consistently, after being in the low 90s in 2018. His fastball has good sink and he pairs it with a slider that features sharp, late break. Burrows lacked control at times, but his fastball/slider combination was good enough to get him 43 strikeouts in 43.2 innings with short-season West Virginia. He spent the year working on his changeup and developed more of a feel for the pitch throughout the season. There’s not a lot of projection left for Burrows’ frame, but he might not need it with his current velocity and how well his fastball and slider play off each other.
  
  THE FUTURE: Burrows has the makings of a potential back-end starter. He can move closer to that goal in 2020 with improvements to his control and changeup.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates made Burrows their 11th-round pick in 2018 and signed him away from Connecticut for an above-slot $500,000 signing bonus. Burrows quickly established he was more advanced than the typical Northeast prep arm. The Pirates typically send their drafted high school pitchers to the Rookie-level Appalachian League for their first season, but Burrows impressed enough in extended spring training to make the jump to the college-heavy New York-Penn League.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Burrows saw an increase in his fastball velocity, hitting 93-95 mph more consistently, after being in the low 90s in 2018. His fastball has good sink and he pairs it with a slider that features sharp, late break. Burrows lacked control at times, but his fastball/slider combination was good enough to get him 43 strikeouts in 43.2 innings with short-season West Virginia. He spent the year working on his changeup and developed more of a feel for the pitch throughout the season. There's not a lot of projection left for Burrows' frame, but he might not need it with his current velocity and how well his fastball and slider play off each other.
  
  THE FUTURE: Burrows has the makings of a potential back-end starter. He can move closer to that goal in 2020 with improvements to his control and changeup.