Burrows will pitch in Futures Game
Mike Burrows is still one step away from the big leagues, but in a week, he’ll pitch on one of baseball’s biggest stages.
Burrows, the Waterford product, was named to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, which will be played at Dodger Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m.
“It’s exciting,” Burrows told Hearst Connecticut Media. “An exciting honor, for sure.”
The Futures Game annually lines up the top minor league prospects in the game during All-Star Game. Burrows, the No. 10 prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, per MLB Pipeline, will pitch in the seven-inning game for the National League team, managed by former Dodgers catcher and Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
Burrows began this season with Double-A Altoona and dominated. The Waterford High graduate led the Eastern League with 12 starts and ranked sixth in ERA (2.94) and batting average against (.199), seventh with 69 strikeouts and 10th with a 1.10 WHIP before being promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on June 16.
“I did really well in Double-A, proved that I was beyond the level,” Burrows noted. “Now, I’m learning stuff in Triple-A and getting ready for the bigs.”
Burrows, 22, has struggled a bit with Indianapolis. After surrendering eight hits and six runs (five earned) on Thursday night
against Iowa, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-hander is 0-2 with a 7.31 ERA in four starts with the Indians.
Certainly, struggling initially in Triple-A isn’t unexpected for a young pitcher. Burrows has noticed the difference in hitters at this level.
“Older guys, in their late 20s, early 30s, that have seen a lot more — a lot of pitches, played in a lot of games, a lot of baseball,” Burrows said. “They’re very smart, smarter than a lot of the younger guys in Double-A. They’re very good at the plate, very disciplined. They go about their at-bats a lot smarter.”
Last season at High-A Greensboro, Burrows posted a 2.20 ERA in 12 starts. He struck out 66 batters over 49 innings with a 0.90 WHIP. Opposing batters hit just .143 off Burrows.
Burrows said he hasn’t really made any mechanical changes or otherwise entering this season.
“It’s just coming down to
perfecting what I’ve been doing,” he said.
Burrows was an 11thround draft pick by the Pirates in 2018 and eschewed a scholarship to UConn to turn pro. He is the first Indianapolis player to earn a spot in the Futures Game since Will Craig in 2019, and the first Connecticut native since George Springer in 2013. University of Hartford lefty Sean Newcomb pitched in the game in 2015.
The seven-inning American vs. National League Futures Game will take place at Dodger Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast live on Peacock and SiriusXM, with MLB Network producing the telecast and reairing the game starting at 8:30 p.m.. Scott Braun (playby-play), Yonder Alonso (analyst), Jim Callis (analyst) and A.J. Andrews (reporter) will be on the call.