Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitching prospect Mike Burrows was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Burrows was in contention to earn a spot in the bullpen but will begin his 2025 campaign in the minor leagues instead. Last season, Burrows made his MLB debut and tossed three 1/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. At Triple-A, the 25-year-old logged 37 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.06 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. He held a 15:45 BB:K ratio. Throughout his time in the minor leagues, the Waterford HS product has been deployed primarily as a starter but may need to shift to a bullpen role in order to see more opportunities in the majors. Fantasy managers in deeper NL-only leagues should continue to monitor his status as he will likely return to the majors later in the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitching prospect Mike Burrows has a good chance to make the Opening Day roster. Burrows made his brief MLB debut last summer as he logged three 1/3 innings. He tallied two strikeouts while holding a 3:2 BB:K ratio and allowing one earned run. He missed the entire first half of the season due to Tommy John. At Triple-A, Burrows logged 37 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.06 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. He tallied 45 punchouts and served up 15 free passes. During the 2022 season, Burrows spent most of his time at Double-A and posted a higher 5.31 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP across 42 1/3 innings. In spring training, he has allowed four earned runs across five innings of work. With the Pirates sending Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco to minor-league camp earlier this month, Burrows appears to be in contention for a spot on the roster. If he were to earn a spot, he would likely operate as a low-leverage relief option.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitching prospect Mike Burrows is being promoted to the major league roster. In a corresponding move, the Pirates demoted right-hander Jared Jones to the Florida Complex League as he made his final start of the season on Friday evening. Burrows has spent the entire season at Triple-A Indianapolis and posted a 4.06 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, with a 15:45 BB:K ratio. The 24-year-old is not projected to start on Saturday or Sunday but could be deployed out of the bullpen over the weekend. Fantasy managers should expect Burrows to compete for a spot on the major league roster during spring training.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Mike Burrows(forearm) left his start on Saturday after feeling something in his forearm. Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington said the team will have a better idea of the injury early in the week. Burrows is ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the Pirates organization according to MLB.com and was expected to make his MLB debut at some point this season. We'll have to wait about the severity of the injury and how much it sets Burrows back.
Pittsburgh Pirates top pitching prospect Mike Burrows is in the process of adding a slider to his repertoire. Burrows already possesses one of the most majestic curveballs out there that completely alters the trajectory of each at-bat. His fastball is already touching 97 mph, but he's hoping to consistently hit the upper-90s. The ninth-ranked prospect in the Pirates system, Burrows split his 2022 campaign between two different levels. With Double-A Altoona, he molded a 2.94 ERA with 69 strikeouts across 12 starts. He was then bumped up to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he struggled to find a steady pace. The result was a dreadful 5.31 ERA with a 1.346 WHIP. Adding the slider could be the secret weapon that puts him over the top. If he finds his footing in Triple-A, he could get the big call at some point this season.
Mike Burrows
• SP
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Pirates
