Mike Burrows

Burrows' future role is uncertain, but he made a promising return from Tommy John surgery in the second half of last season. He has the repertoire (full four-pitch mix) to start and more often than not, Burrows has displayed the requisite control to start. He had a 4.06 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 45:15 K:BB in 37.2 innings over 10 appearances (nine starts) at Triple-A and also got a 3.1-inning relief appearance in the majors on the penultimate day of the season. Burrows' 8.9 percent walk rate at Triple-A was perfectly acceptable, especially for a pitcher just returning from April 2023 TJS, and he notched a 10-strikeout start in five innings and a seven-strikeout start in 3.1 innings, displaying the ability to rack up Ks when everything's working. He averaged 94.5 mph and 17 inches of induced vertical break on his fastball while leaning on his improved mid-80s changeup and signature upper-70s curveball for whiffs. Even prior to his surgery, Burrows struggled to handle a full season's workload, maxing out at 94.1 innings in 2022. Rotation depth is the closest thing the Pirates have to a strength, so Burrows should get stretched out in big-league spring training and ultimately open his age-25 season in the Triple-A rotation. From there, he could be summoned throughout the year as a swing man, and could also step into a long-term opening in the rotation if circumstances align. Read Past Outlooks