In the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins selected arguably the most dominant reliever among all of the college ranks, closer Nick Burdi out of Louisville.

 

This was the second time the Twins have drafted him, as they selected him in the 24th round out of high school, but he obviously declined and went on to participate in multiple College World Series' with the Cardinals.

 

Burdi's arsenal includes 100+MPH heat, and a 90+MPH wipeout slider that proved lethal against collegiate competition.

 

Burdi was assigned to the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League after signing, and had a very forgettable debut. He faced four batters, and walked all of them.

 

He was very quick to get back on his horse however!

 

Over his next three games and three innings, he allowed just two hits and one walk, while recording ALL NINE OUTS VIA STRIKEOUT. He would make the streak 10 K's in a row in his next game, before a batter finally put an out in play.

 

Because of his debut, his numbers may not ever look good for this season, but since that blip in the radar, Burdi has pitched in 7 games totaling 7.0 innings. In those innings, he has allowed just four hits, three walks, two runs (in same game), while striking out 15(!). In case you're wondering, that is a 19.3 K/9 ratio, and 5:1 K/BB, and 2.57 ERA. He has not allowed a baserunner in four of those seven appearances.

Burdi pitched two innings in last nights game (7/30), his first multi-inning appearance, and although he allowed three hits, he didn't walk anybody or allow any to score, and struck out FIVE.

 

In his 10 innings on the season, Burdi now has a 18.9 K/9IP ratio and has lowered his ERA from infinity to 5.40. 

 

Since his debut, that's now 10 innings with 21 K's, 3 BB's, 7 H's, and just 2 runs allowed.

 

In his 10 innings on the season, Burdi now has a 18.9 K/9IP ratio and has lowered his ERA from infinity to 5.40. 

 

Since his debut, that's now 10 innings with 21 K's, 3 BB's, 7 H's, and just 2 runs allowed.

 

Just give him a mulligan on his first appearance and calculate after that..

 

Really encouraged by what he's been able to do.

 

Strikeouts?  Sometimes I don't even know what they are at the major league level -- unless the Twins are batting.

Just give him a mulligan on his first appearance and calculate after that..

 

Here you go:

 

9 appearances, 10 IP, 7 Hits allowed, 3 walks, 2 earned runs, 21 K's, 1.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .194 Batting Average Against.

 

Send him to Fort Myers!  Haha.

he should be in Ft Meyers, several experts thought he could start in AA.....what is he learning in A ball right now? Every pitch is an injury waiting to happen, they aren't trying to make him a starter....move him on up, imo.

he should be in Ft Meyers, several experts thought he could start in AA.....what is he learning in A ball right now? Every pitch is an injury waiting to happen, they aren't trying to make him a starter....move him on up, imo.

 

I was all over this site and elsewhere saying the same things after the draft.  I would have put him in AA to start and not batted an eye about it.  Hope for reasons to be in AAA in August/September after roster expansions (if Twins were in contention maybe even an MLB callup), and have him competing for a spot in the MLB pen next year.

 

That's my issue with him being in the MWL.  He's not learning anything except "none of these guys can touch me."

I was in Cedar Rapids on Saturday night to catch Joe Mauer, Lewis Thorpe, and Nick Burdi in action for the Kernels.

 

For details on the game and performances of Thorpe and Burdi, be sure to check out my post:  http://twinsdaily.com/blog/15/entry-5310-color-me-and-joe-mauer-impressed-by-lewis-thorpe-and-nick-burdi/

 

Lots of direct quotes from Mauer on those guys in there, and I also chatted with Thorpe.  Good times!

 

If I could figure out how to post a video here, I will do so as well.  Have the 3-pitch K from Burdi on tape.

I was in Cedar Rapids on Saturday night to catch Joe Mauer, Lewis Thorpe, and Nick Burdi in action for the Kernels.

Ooo!  If nobody has Joe Mauer as their 2014 Adopt-A-Prospect, I'll take him.

Burdi was promoted to Fort Myers on Sunday, as reported by Darren Wolfson over on the Twitter machine. 
 
And here's the video I promised, since I've figured it out how to post it now!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hS9Z49Y4cY

Burdi has now made four appearances for the Fort Myers Miracle, and picked up his first Florida State League save last night!

 

In four innings, he's allowed just four hits and one walk, while striking out eight, with zero runs allowed. 

 

He's also hit one batter...hope it wasn't a fastball!

 

With the Miracle already locked into a FSL playoff spot, Burdi should make around 5-7 more appearances this season.

 

Omitting his first game, he's now thrown a total of 17 IP, with just two earned runs allowed (both in one game), on 12 Hits and just 5 walks, with 34 strikeouts.

 

That's also a 1.05 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 18.0 K/9IP. 

 

Another way to describe this dominance is he's struck out 47.8% of the batters he's faced in the minors.  For a comparative reference, Glen Perkins has struck out 28.6% of the batters he's faced this season in the majors.

 

This is what people in the industry call "ri-DONK-ulous".

Burdi has made 2 appearances since the last update and pitched 2.1 innings.  He allowed no hits, walked one, and struck out two.

 

With Fort Myers he owns a 0.00 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and hitters are batting just .190 off him.  He has struck out 10 in 6.1 innings in the FSL, and now 36 in 19.1 innings on the year, compared to just 10 walks, of which four were from his first appearance.  (BB rate is an actually pretty good 2.79BB/9IP since that game).

 

Burdi was briefly listed on the Salt River Rafters roster for the Arizona Fall League, but has since been pulled back.

 

There is still a decent chance he is on the team, but for now the Twins are waiting to announce their seventh selection.

The Fort Myers Miracle won the Florida State League Championship earlier this month, and Burdi certainly helped with that.

 

In three playoff game appearances, Burdi pitched 5.1 innings and allowed just 3 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 8.  He also picked up a save.

 

On the season, Burdi pitched 20.1 total innings for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Miracle.  In those innings, he allowed just 6 earned runs on 13 hits and 10 walks for a 2.66 ERA, while striking out 38.  Batters hit just .186 off him and he finished with a very respectable 1.13 WHIP.  He did not surrender a single HR either.

 

Eliminating his first game, those numbers become even more dominant.

 

Same amount of innings, but just 2 earned runs (in the same game) on 13 hits and 6 walks, which is a 0.88 ERA and 0.93 WHIP.

 

Thus, in 18 of 20 games, Burdi did not allow any damage to the scoreboard, which is not un-notable for a setup man/closer type pitcher.

 

It doesn't look like Burdi is heading to the Arizona Fall League after all (instead fellow dominant RP Jake Reed will make the trip), but I would expect him to have an invite to MLB spring training and start his 2015 at AA New Britain, with the potential for a very early MLB callup.

Great recap on his season.  His first game was definitely an uh-oh moment, but he put that behind him in a big way.  There aren't many substitutes for 100 MPH. 

 

Just curious - who is the subject of that scouting report in your tag line?

Just curious - who is the subject of that scouting report in your tag line?

 

Myself    In a Town-Team Amateur Baseball scouting reference sense, haha.