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Predicting how big a role these three Pittsburgh Pirates rookies will play in 2025

The Pirates have a handful of rookies who made their debuts in 2024, but these three could find themselves in important roles in 2025.

By Noah Wright|
Sep 28, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Mike Burrows (53) follows through on a pitch against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Mike Burrows (53) follows through on a pitch against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Mike Burrows

Mike Burrows looked like he was on his way to playing a significant role in the Pirates' rotation in 2023. He was added to their 40-man roster that offseason and looked pretty good at Triple-A in 2022. Unfortunately, he only ended up pitching 6.2 innings before having to undergo Tommy John surgery that April. Burrows returned halfway through the 2024 season, and he put up some solid numbers at Indy in a small 37.2 IP sample size, including a 4.06 ERA, 26.6% K%, and 8.9% walk rate. Despite those successes, he also found himself home run prone with a 1.67 HR/9.

Burrows made his MLB debut during the final series of the season against the New York Yankees. He only allowed one earned run through 3.1 IP in his first big league game while striking out two and walking a trio of Yankees. Burrows graded out at an above-average level per Stuff+ at 108. The right-hander has a four-pitch mix, including a four-seamer, slider, curveball, and changeup. He's also displayed good control throughout the minor leagues.

If Burrows opens 2025 in the major leagues, he'll likely serve a similar function to how Luis Ortiz factored into the first half of 2024. The Pirates are still going to want him to get stretched out, and a multi-inning/spot-starter role could help him control his workload while maintaining his effectiveness. 

If Burrows pitches well in that role during the first half of the season, then he may see his role change. He could either see more starts or eventually transition into higher-leverage opportunities. Burrows' stuff could definitely play in either role. It would most likely come down to workload and how the Pirates and Burrows want to manage that.

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