AJ Burnett

A.J. Burnett is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees.

On December 12, 2008, A.J. Burnett agreed on a five year contract with the New York Yankees which is believed to be worth $82.5 million dollars. Burnett joins recently acquired C.C. Sabathia in the revamped New York Yankees rotation.¹

Fast Facts

1. Full name: Allan James Burnett²
2. Born: January 3, 1977²
3. Birthplace: North Little Rock Arkansas²
4. Height: 6'5"²
5. Weight: 230 lbs²
6. Bats: Right²
7. Throws: Right²
8. 2001: Pitched a no-hitter²

MLB Career

Burnett was originally drafted by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the 1995 amateur draft (217th overall pick). In 1997, Burnett was traded to the Florida Marlins organization, and in 2001 Burnett recorded a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres, despite walking none batters. Despite a productive 2003 campaign with the Marlins, Burnett's tenure with the team was marred by injuries, having missed the teams 2004 Championship run following Tommy John Surgery. At the 2005 winter meetings, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Burnett to a five-year $55 Million contract.²

Strengths

Burnett throws three pitches very effectively, a mid-90's fastball, a change-up, and a very effective curve ball. He uses a combination of these pitches to strike out a lot of batters. Burnett is athletic, and an above average batter for a pitcher, bunting effectively to advance runners.³

Weaknesses

Though he has been effective while healthy, Burnett has not proven to be very durable over the course of his career, with a laundry list of shoulder and elbow injuries. Scouts have questioned his concentration on the mound, as well as his command. While Burnett does field his position well, his concentration issues have hindered his ability to hold runners on base.^{3 4}

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