A.J. Burnett 2010 Projection
A.J. Burnett did a mighty fine job for the Yankees in his first year of service, but to me, still did not live up to his billing. He went 13-9 while posting a 4.04 ERA last season. In my book, a starting pitcher with his raw talent and paycheck should be doing a little better. Yes, he put up 18 wins the year before in Toronto, but he still managed an ERA above 4! Talent is not Burnett’s problem, but consistency is. He has a tendency to get rattled and shaken up when things are not going his way. His drama duel with Posada is apparently getting better, but I’m still not ready to fully trust it yet. Hell, he couldn’t even suck it up and pitch to him in the playoffs. Regardless, the righty has oodles of talent, it’s just a matter of putting together the full package consistently.
Wins: 14
Losses: 10
ERA: 4.31
Complete Games: 1
Innings Pitched: 191
Strikeouts: 175
WHIP: 1.45
Unfortunately, I am rather skeptical of what I expect Burnett to put up this season. Age isn’t a factor here really, it’s more about the lack of consistency and mental prowess. It really is evident that when things start going bad for Burnett that more times than not, they don’t get better. Yes, when Burnett is on his game he is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but if he’s not pitching to that ability all the time, or almost all the time, then he can’t really be considered one of the best in the game. He leaves fastballs up in the zone (last year gave up 25 home runs, expect that number to go up), and at Yankee Stadium that really isn’t a mistake that pitchers can get away with. Again, it’s unfortunate but these are the stats I expect Burnett to put up this season. Obviously I’ll be hoping for something better, but the realist inside of me is telling me not to expect it.
Check back tomorrow when we take a look at new Yankee pitcher, Javier Vazquez.
How do you think Burnett is going to do? Can he consistently perform up to his potential?
Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com
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