Examining how dominant the Indianapolis Indians' Opening Day rotation will be in 2025

Mike Burrows

There's a fourth pitcher ranked in the Pirates' top 30 in Triple-A who will likely start the season as the fourth man in the Indianapolis rotation. Mike Burrows is the 16th-ranked prospect in the Pirates' farm system.

In his return from Tommy John surgery, Burrows struggled, but eventually made his major league debut. In Triple-A last season, Burrows posted an earned run average of 4.06 in 37.2 innings pitched, striking out 45. His WHIP sat at 1.41, with opposing hitters batting .253 against him.

In his major league debut, Burrows tossed 3.1 innings, striking out two, and allowing two hits, one earned run, and three walks against the American League champion New York Yankees.

Burrows' fastball sits around 94 miles per hour, but it got tagged in the minors, as it resulted in a hefty xSLG that sat at .636. The pitch is expected to improve, as poor results are expected in the aftermath of returning from surgery.

His changeup, on the other hand, was dominant, generating a 50% whiff rate, along with an opposing xBA of .115 and xSLG of .150. On top of that, his slider generated a 36.4% whiff rate with an opposing xBA of .167 and xSLG of .240.

If Burrows gets his fastball working, then hitters will struggle with his complete pitching arsenal. He was once a top prospect in the organization, but injuries have dropped him down. Nonetheless, Burrows will still play an important role in the Indianapolis rotation next season.

Po-Yu Chen

One of the best unranked prospects in the Pirates' farm system is Po-Yu Chen. He had a long season with Altoona, which finished as the best in his professional career. That step forward should result in him starting 2025 in Indianapolis.

Last season, Chen delivered 134 innings pitched, while allowing an earned run average of 4.03 with a WHIP of 1.29. Opponents hit .251 against him, and he struck out 96 batters. His FIP finished at 4.34, and his "home run to fly ball" ratio was solid at 8%.

Since he only pitched in Double-A, none of his pitches were tracked by Statcast in 2024. FanGraphs' current grades on his pitches are as follows: fastball 30/30, slider 40/45, curveball 45/45, splitter 55/60, and command 50/60. That represents both a present and possible future grade.

Chen has long been an interesting prospect to watch, and will be a big part of the Indianapolis rotation in 2025.

Overall, these five prospects have a bright future ahead in 2025 with Indianapolis. They make up a very dominant rotation at Triple-A.