Danny Burawa
| IP | 13 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 6.231 |
| WHIP | 1.231 |
| BB/9 | 3.462 |
| SO/9 | 7.615 |
- Full name Daniel James Burawa
- Born 12/30/1988 in Riverhead, NY
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School St. John's (NY)
- Debut 06/21/2015
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Drafted in the 12th round (385th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2010 (signed for $300,000).
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After posting a 3.13 ERA in seven appearances at Suffolk County (N.Y.) CC as a freshman in 2008, Burawa transferred to St. John's after the following fall, so he had to sit out 2009. He has been a revelation as a draft-eligible sophomore this spring, going 1-0, 1.02 with eight saves, 27 strikeouts and eight walks through 18 innings over 23 appearances. Burawa has a loose, wiry frame at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, but he has a long, funky arm action that one scout likened to an Iron Mike pitching machine tipped on its side. He pumps fastballs in the 93-95 mph range with good armside run, and he flashes an average 75-78 mph slurve with some tilt and bite, though more often the pitch breaks too early and he struggles to command it. His changeup is in its early stages of development. Burawa's limited track record causes scouts to be cautious, but his fresh arm is also an asset--one scout called his arm "a very loose cannon." He figures to be drafted somewhere between the second and fourth rounds.
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A lifelong Yankees fan, Burawa began his college career at Suffolk County (N.Y.) CC before changing his diet, losing weight and gaining velocity, then transferring to St. John's. He signed for $300,000 as a 12th-rounder after his junior year in 2010, then blew through the lower levels of the Yankees system as a reliever. He missed all of 2012 with a combination of a torn oblique and then a cracked rib before reaching Double-A Trenton in 2013. Burawa's shaky control got him into trouble at Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2014, when he walked 4.6 batters per nine innings. Armed with a heavy fastball that sits comfortably in the mid-90s and can touch higher, Burawa always has been excellent at inducing ground balls. He complements his fastball with a mid-80s slider that features excellent late break and depth. He also has a changeup, but he's primarily at two-pitch reliever. Added to the 40-man roster in November, he has a future as a middle reliever.
