Tanner Burns

Other pitchers in the 2020 class have bigger pure stuff and more physical frames than the 6-foot, 215-pound Auburn righthander, but Burns has one of the highest baselines of any pitcher in the country. He’s been a reliable workhorse over two-plus years with the Tigers in a full-time starting role, taking the bump 32 times and posting a 2.86 ERA in 188.2 innings. That sort of track record in the SEC speaks for itself, and Burns’ pitch mix is solid-average or better across the board. His fastball sits in the 92-94 mph range consistently, with more in the tank when he wants it. It’s a plus pitch that plays up because of his ability to locate it consistently. He dots the pitch wherever he wants, which allows him to set up his offspeed offerings. Burns throws an above-average curveball and a changeup that gets some above-average grades as well, though it fluctuates more around average than the curve or fastball. He also throws a slider, though some evaluators believe his two breaking balls blend together. Either way, he gets swings and misses from both lefties and righties with his breaking stuff and is an above-average strike thrower. His career walk rate with Auburn is just 3.16 batters per nine, and if he stays healthy he’s got a high likelihood to impact a major league club. Some teams may question his durability and endurance thanks to his size, but he’s done all he can in college to show he can handle the workload. Burns has the upside of a No. 3 or 4 starter and should be taken in the middle or back of the first round.