Beau Burrows

Burrows throws hard, has two workable offspeed pitches in his arsenal and posted a 3.15 ERA in 97 innings at Low-A in 2016. So what's the concern? Burrows saw an unusual drop in his strikeout rate once he hit full-season ball. Burrows fanned just 67 batters in those 97 innings. He does not have prototypical size either. Burrows just turned 20 years of age in September, and it is apparent that he is still honing his craft and perfecting his "out" pitches. Burrows also missed the final month or so of the minor league season with blister issues. Watch Burrow's strikeout numbers as he ascends to higher levels, as they will go a long way in determining whether he'll be a frontline rotation anchor or merely a serviceable innings eater.

While Burrows is fewer than 30 innings into his professional career, it already looks like the Tigers may have struck gold with their first-round pick in last year’s draft. There was a case to be made at the time of the draft that the 6-foot-2 righty had the highest floor of any of the prep hurlers in the class, but after posting a 1.61 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 28 innings in the Gulf Coast League, it is Burrows’ ceiling that will endear him to dynasty league owners this offseason. With a big fastball that is already plus and a curveball and changeup that could each be plus offerings down the road, Burrows should have no problem overpowering short-season and Low-A hitters in 2016. Several of the arms taken ahead of him in last year’s draft have similar ceilings and are less likely to stick as starters, so Burrows should be considered in leagues where 200 prospects are rostered.