Burnes’ rise is rapid
Rookie started pitching in 2013
As difficult as this might be to believe, Corbin Burnes did not start pitching until his senior year in high school in Centennial, Calif., in 2013.
Imagine how quickly he adapted to that role, becoming the Brewers’ top pitching prospect in 2017 and already pitching high-leverage innings out of their bullpen.
“It’s awesome to get the trust from (manager Craig) Counsell and the staff to be put in the situations I’ve been put in. I try to make the most of it.”
And Burnes has done exactly that. After recording a save in his first major-league appearance in Miami, he has been entrusted with big moments, none more so than Saturday night when he bailed the Brewers out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth inning, the key moment in a comeback 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers that snapped a seven-game losing streak.
After a breakthrough season in ’17 at Class A Carolina and Class AA Biloxi, where he combined to go 8-3 with a 1.67 ERA in 26 starts, with 140 strikeouts in 145 2/3 innings, Burnes was cruising along at Class AAA Colorado Springs this season when manager
Rick Sweet and pitching coach Fred Danby called him in one day and said he was being moved to a relief role.
Burnes, 23, had always been a starter but he was given this good news: We’re switching you because we’d like to use you in the big leagues in that capacity.
“We tried to ease our way into it,” Burnes recalled. “I was all for it. We hit the ground running and I got help transitioning to it. There were a lot of veteran guys who helped.
“I’m just making the most of every opportunity. I’m going to do what I can to help this team win.”
So, how did this happen? How did Burnes go from pitching one year in high school, then drawing scouts’ attention at tiny St. Mary’s College and getting selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft by the Brewers?
“It’s just seasoning,” he said. “When I was drafted, I had only really pitched for three years. I was still learning. I played middle infield before that. I wasn’t the greatest infielder, or fleet of foot. So, it was, ‘If you’re going to move on to the next level, it’s probably going to be with your arm.’ “I’m still learning, really.” Apparently, Burnes is a quick study. It doesn’t hurt that he can throw in the mid to high 90s (mph) with natural movement but he also mixes in a wicked slider, knee-buckling curve and deceptive changeup. That repertoire makes him quite a weapon coming out of the bullpen.
So, as the Brewers attempt to rebound from their skid and stay in the playoff hunt in the National League, they have another bullpen weapon that folks didn’t see coming when the season began. But, unlike Josh Hader, who was moved from a starting role to the bullpen and has stayed there, Counsell said that won’t happen with Burnes.
“Corbin will be a starter next year, 100%,” Counsell said. “There’s no debate on that one. He’ll come to spring training as a starting pitcher.
“(High-leverage relief ) has been based on need. And he’s handled every situation wonderfully. He’s going to give up runs here. But there’s a reason why he’s a very highly thought-of player, and why he shot through the minor leagues. That’s part of the reason we’re using him in these situations.”
Guerra, Peralta set to rejoin rotation: Counsell said Junior Guerra will come off the 10-day disabled list (forearm tightness) and start Tuesday against Washington, followed by rookie Freddy Peralta on Wednesday. Peralta was sent to Class A Wisconsin to pitch a couple of innings over the big-league break to stay sharp.
With Guerra and Peralta getting assignments, the Brewers will use six different starters to begin the second half.