ALTOONA, PA (93.7 The Fan) – Rising as a Pirates prospect, right-hand pitcher Mike Burrows continues his ascent in AA coming off being named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week.
Not that those awards matter to the 22-year-old.
“Nah, this whole experience in the minor leagues is messing around with what can I do and what can’t I,” Burrows said. “I’m just ready for the next step.”
Last week Burrows threw a career-long seven shutout innings, striking out a season-high eight. The 22-year-old came into the game first in the Eastern League with a 1.90 ERA and in batting average against (.166). He was second in WHIP (0.87) and sixth in strikeouts (54).
The change-up keying his improvement, he’s been experimenting with it. Wednesday he was comfortable enough to throw it on a 3-2 pitch and got a strikeout. He’s glad to do that here and not try to figure it out in the majors.
The 6’2”, right-hander said he made a couple of mistakes Wednesday, gave up a couple of weak hits as he walked four for his shortest start of the season lasting three-plus innings in a 5-3 loss to Bowie (Baltimore).
“Things have been going pretty well,” Burrows said. “Having one bad start is not going to deter me. It’s going to be on to the next one. I got no problem with bad starts, I learn from them.”
The lesson of staying even-keeled passed down to Burrows from his father. He told him to never have really high, highs or really low, lows. Burrows says baseball will eat you up and humble you if you are too emotional.
Drafted by the Pirates in the 11th round in 2018 out of high school in Connecticut, Burrows has pitched in 37 games with a career 2.53 ERA, 172 strikeouts in 149.1 innings and a 1.03 WHIP. He is the first Altoona Pitcher of the Week since Roansy Contreras (currently with the Pirates) last May.
Fraizer Coming
Last year outfielder Matt Fraizer named the Pirates Honus Wagner Player of the Year hitting .306 with 23 home runs and 68 RBI between High A (75 games) and AA (37 games). This year, the 24-year-old hit .164 in April with one home run in Altoona.
In May, six multi-hit games, four of them in the last nine games of the month. The Curve left-hand hitter tripled and scored on the first day of June.
“The stuff I’ve been working on before games, getting good pitches to hit,” Fraizer said of his improvement. “Putting in the work and getting back to myself, staying through the ball.”
The Curve have had two players join the Pirates straight from AA this year-OF Jack Suwinski and INF/OF Tucupita Marcano.