Billy Burns Stats & Scouting Report

AB	843
AVG	.27
OBP	.308
SLG	.353
HR	5

Full name William John Burns
Born 08/30/1989 in Atlanta, GA
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: S / Throws: R
School Mercer University
Debut 07/28/2014
Drafted in the 32nd round (967th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2011.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Burns made a splash by hitting .306 in big league spring training in 2014 but had an underwhelming season at Double-A Midland and Triple-A Sacramento. He can create havoc with his top-of-the-scale speed, but he needs to recalibrate his slap-hitting approach to maximize it. The Nationals reintroduced Burns to switch-hitting after drafting him--he hit righthanded only at Mercer after batting from both sides in high school. He still looks more comfortable and takes better swings from the right side. Burns has no over-the-fence power, but he nonetheless needs to start hitting more line drives or else upper-level pitchers and defenses can take away his strengths. He plays premium defense in center field and can steal bases at the drop of a hat. His arm rates below-average, though having a quick release helps. He'll return to Triple-A in 2015, and he'll have to show more punch if he's going to be more than an extra outfielder.
The son of former New York Jets running back Bob Burns, Billy is a premium athlete who has made himself into a prospect despite his lack of size. A switch-hitter in high school, he hit solely from the right side in college, and the Nationals reintroduced the lefthanded swing in 2011 instructional league. Burns has a slap-and-dash approach from the left side and a little more strength from the right side, but he has no power and does not try to hit home runs. His game is completely built around his 80 speed, which allows him to beat out infield hits and bunt his way on base regularly. Burns has walked more than he's struck out in his pro career, and his patient approach makes him a perfect table-setter. His reads and jumps on the basepaths improved immensely in 2013, helping him rank third in the minors with 74 steals in 81 attempts between high Class A and Double-A. He also cuts bases extremely well. Burns is capable of making dazzling plays in center field and left, but he is actually a better defender in the latter. His arm is below-average, but he worked on improving it in instructional league. Burns plays with intensity and savvy, and he knows his strengths and weaknesses better than any player in the system. A lack of impact offensive ability causes many scouts to view him as a fourth outfielder, but he might begin winning converts if he continues hitting at Double-A to start 2014.
Burns' father Bob played running back for Joe Namath's New York Jets in 1974. Billy hit .353 with 70 steals in 79 tries during a three-year career at Mercer. A switch-hitter in high school, Burns hit solely from the right side in college before the Nationals turned him back into a switch-hitter in instructional league in 2011. He has an opposite-field, slap approach from the left side, and more strength and natural hitting ability from the right, though he has no power either way. He batted .320 against righthanders and .324 versus lefties last year. The undersized Burns knows his game and excels at making use of his game-changing speed, which scouts rate at 80 on the 20-80 scale. He works counts and puts the ball in play, often on the ground. His speed makes him a formidable basestealer, though he's still learning to get better jumps. Burns has excellent range in center, but his arm is fringy. He has limited offensive upside, but his speed and tablesetting skills give him a chance to be an extra outfielder in the majors. He'll move to high Class A Potomac this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

Burns? best and only above-average tool is his game-changing speed, and he makes the most of it in every aspect of his play. Hitting atop Potomac?s lineup, he led the CL in stolen bases (54) and on-base percentage (.422) before moving up to Double-A Harrisburg in late July. A true 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, he stole 74 bases in 81 attempts between the two levels to rank third in the minors. Burns excels at working counts and putting the ball in play as a slap-and-dash hitter. He?s more than willing to put the ball on the ground and beat throws to first base. The natural righthanded hitter began switch-hitting in 2012, but he hit a respectable .312/.418/.383 in 266 at-bats from the left side in the CL. One scout suggested that Burns could be more of a line-drive hitter if he incorporated his powerful legs into his swing. Burns works hard at basestealing and improved his reads and jumps this season. He?s an average defender in center field, but his skills play up because of his positioning and speed. He has below-average arm strength, and more than one observer made the natural comparison with Juan Pierre as a slap hitter with tremendous basestealing instincts. ?The kid reminds me of (Pierre), ? Carolina?s Wallace said. ?His approach and putting balls in play, his speed and ability to run the bases can play all the way up to the major leagues.?