Tanner Burns

Burns is like a high school version of North Carolina righthander J.B. Bukauskas. Burns is short but he is not small, with broad shoulders and a country strong body on the mound. The righthander can reach 96 with his fastball and consistently works at 92-94. He has a very fast arm and isn't afraid to attack hitters with his fastball. His best offspeed pitch is his power breaking ball, a plus pitch thrown in the low 80s with hard slurvy shape to it. He has also shown some feel for his changeup this spring. Burns is a very good athlete with loose hips and a very strong core. He controls his body well and can throw all of his pitches for strikes. In 64 innings in the spring, Burns struck out 116 batters and walked just 22. He also had an exceptional season as a hitter, batting .467 and hitting 16 home runs. Mike Burns, Tanner's father, is the head coach at Calhoun Community College. He played in the minor leagues with the Astros in the early 1990s. Burns could be a two-way player if he fulfills his commitment to Auburn. He is valued in the back of the first round to early second round.