A.J. Burnett
From BR Bullpen
Allan James Burnett
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 5", Weight 205 lb.
- Born January 3, 1977 in North Little Rock, AR USA
[edit] Biographical Information
A.J. Burnett was drafted by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the 1995 draft. Fellow major leaguer Craig Monroe was also taken in this round, several spots higher than Burnett. He was traded to the Florida Marlins for Al Leiter in 1998, one of several very good young players the Marlins acquired when they dismantled their 1997 Championship team.
His first brush with fame on May 12, 2001, when he pitched a 3-0 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. He ended the season with a solid 11-12 record and a 4.05 ERA for the young Marlins, giving a hint of future stardom. His five shutouts in 2002 led the National League and established a Marlins team single-season record that has since been tied by Dontrelle Willis. He was also first on the club's career shutout list with six until 2002, and ended his Florida career with 8. That has since been broken by Dontrelle Willis as well. He improved to 12-9, 3.30 that season and seemed ready to form a tremendous duo with Josh Beckett.
However, Burnett's career was derailed when he underwent Tommy John surgery after only four starts in 2003, missing the Marlins' run to the 2003 World Championship. He came back in 2004 and won six of his last seven decisions, including a 14 strikeout outing against Colorado - a Marlins team record (as of 2004). After a solid season in 2005, in which he won 12 games and pitched over 200 innings, he became a free agent and was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Burnett went 10-8 for the Blue Jays in both 2006 and 2007, missing time both seasons with various injuries, and alternating periods of dominance on the mound with very frustrating outings, He put it all together in 2008, winning 18 games and striking out a league-leading 231 batters. Showing durability for the first time in years, he was tied for the most starts in the American League with 34, and pitched the third most innings in the circuit. As a clause in his contract allowed him a possibility to opt out after three seasons, speculation grew as to whether he would become a free agent at the end of the year, as he was demonstrating that he could be a top-line starter. The New York Yankees' Hank Steinbrenner even expressed interest in him publicly as the season was winding down, in a statement that was very close to tampering.
Burnett did in fact sign a lucrative free agent contract with the Yankees after the season, joining CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira as a newly-minted Yankee in 2009. He had a solid first season in the Bronx, helping the Yankees to the 2009 World Series title.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL Strikeouts Leader (2008)
- NL Shutouts Leader (2002)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (2008)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 4 (2002, 2005, 2008 & 2009)
- 200 Strikeouts Seasons: 2 (2002 & 2008)
- Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009
