Pittsburgh Review

NEW YORK -- Mike Burrows made his Major League debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium after a long rehabilitation period. The right-handed pitcher had been on the verge of joining the Majors in 2023 but was delayed by a Tommy John procedure in April of that year. On Saturday, Burrows entered in the third inning, following two perfect innings by Paul Skenes. He pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out two batters, including Aaron Judge.

"It was a battle, 16 months I had of rehab, and then another two back to get here," Burrows said before Saturday’s game. "So it was a fight, and this is all worth it now."

Ranked as the Pirates’ No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Burrows' standing had dipped due to his absence and the emergence of other young pitchers in the farm system. However, manager Derek Shelton emphasized that Burrows remains an important part of their plans.

"A lot of people talk about our pitching and the depth, and at times they forget to mention him," Shelton said. "We feel that he’s still a big part of this."

Burrows first gained attention with his mid-90s fastball and high-spin curveball after being selected in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. Over time, he developed his changeup into a weapon and added a slider ahead of the 2023 season.

This year, Burrows pitched in 16 games (15 starts), including ten games (nine starts) at Triple-A Indianapolis. He posted a 4.06 ERA over 37 2/3 innings with 45 strikeouts. In his final Minor League start against St. Paul on Sunday, he recorded ten strikeouts and began to feel like himself again on the mound.

"I would say throughout the outings prior to that, it was just the inconsistency was really getting to my head," Burrows said. "That sucks to be out there and feel like every other pitch or every third pitch is when you're finally feeling it coming out of the hand the way you want it to."

Despite struggling with consistency initially, Burrows never lost his competitive edge or resilience—a trait likely familiar to fans who have watched rookies Jared Jones and Paul Skenes.

"There's not much else in this game you can go through that's going to be harder than that," Burrows said regarding his recovery process.

Burrows' family and friends traveled from Connecticut to watch his debut. Later this month, he will participate in the Arizona Fall League for more competitive innings following his surgery recovery.

When asked whether he preferred finishing his season with a ten-strikeout game or making his Major League debut, Burrows responded without hesitation: "Debut,” he answered, smiling. “Without a doubt.”