Detroit Tigers: Top 20 prospects going into the 2020 season
By Tyler Kotila
Beau Burrows, RHP, Triple-A in 2019
Back in 2015, the Detroit Tigers would draft a right-handed arm directly out of high school. Beau Burrows would ultimately be selected with the twenty-second pick of the first round in that draft out of Weatherford High School in Texas. He would go on to make nine starts in 2015 in rookie ball before heading to the Single-A level in 2016. The 6-foot-2, the 215-pound right-handed pitcher, is now stationed with the Triple-A heading into the 2020 season.
In 2019, Burrows made one start in Single-A with Lakeland, another singular start with Double-A Erie, before spending the remainder of the season with Triple-A Toledo. In his two starts between Single-A and Double-A, he combined for two starts for nine shutout innings, only allowing three hits, walking four batters, and striking out eight.
He would make fifteen starts with Triple-A Toledo, where he would pitch to a 2-6 record, featuring a 5.51 ERA, 1.53 WHIP. Over 65.1 innings pitched, he gave up sixty-eight hits, allowed forty earned runs, walking thirty-two, and striking out sixty-one.
Burrows has a smooth delivery with a quiet motion, throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot. He has a four-pitch mix that features a fastball sitting closer to 92mph but can run it up to tough mid-90s. His slider is more vertical coming in around 82-85mph, but he also throws a curveball with more of a loopy 12-6 motion.
He uses the curveball more than his slider as a go-to breaking ball. Burrows also throws a change-up that enters the mix as well, allowing him to throw it to right-handed hitters. In terms of his quiet motion, it enables him to have average control because he does yank his fastball sometimes.
MLB Expectation: Burrows has all the makings of a mid-rotation starter for the big league club. If his development continues and he has an exceptional 2020 campaign with Triple-A Toledo, Burrows should see his talent transfer well to the Detroit Tigers rotation, with a possible big-league promotion at some point in 2020. If his development goes as planned, his control will fall in to place as time goes on, and he acclimates to Triple-A and the big leagues.