After the rapid emergence of Roansy Contreras in 2021 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, heads turned to this past season to see if the system could produce another breakout starter on the mound.
A former 11th round pick out of high school, Mike Burrows seemed poised for a big season after mastering the hitter friendly confines in Greensboro (2.10 ERA in six games), but there were plenty of questions the righty needed to answer before he can really break loose.
One was pitching an entire season in the system. Not only did the shutdown of the 2020 minor league season cost Burrows potentially his first full season in the minors (drafted in 2018, but spent 2019 in short-season West Virginia), but he also missed time in 2021 with an oblique injury.