A.J. Burnett had his first outing of the Spring and threw two scoreless innings, giving up two hits to the Astros.
Analysis: There is a lot of pressure on A.J. Burnett to bounce back from his 10-15 losing record as he goes on to say: “I know the cameras are on me, the spotlight is on me to turn it around”. Fantasy owners of Burnett and Yankee fans alike know that he is an extremely inconsistent player. One week he will go 7 strong innings giving up just a run, and the following outing he implodes and gives up 5 in an inning. Burnett is the kind of guy that gets easily frazzled and can lose control of the plate and the game at any time. Play him when he’s hot and avoid him when he’s cold because there is no middle ground with him.
Projection: Expect A.J. to post a close to .500 record as a pitcher this year. He will string together a few wins in a row, but eventually he will come back down to earth. When he does, just make sure he is out of your lineups.
A.J. is one of the most frustrating arms I’ve ever come across, and everyone is still waiting for him to put it all together. He can’t be as bad as 2010, so at least there some guarantee of improvement. However, you’re right on target about how and when to utilize him. If you ride Burnett at the right times, he can be the difference of grabbing a playoff spot or not. Unfortunately, that same statement can be said in reverse as well. I’ve spoken to Burnett a few times over the years, and he’s a good guy – one of those players that you root for. I hope this is the season that he can harness his amazing stuff over a six month stretch. If he manages to do that, he’ll be a steal.
A.J. is one of the most frustrating arms I’ve ever come across, and everyone is still waiting for him to put it all together. He can’t be as bad as 2010, so at least there is some guarantee of improvement. However, you’re right on target about how and when to utilize him. If you ride Burnett at the right times, he can be the difference of grabbing a playoff spot or not. Unfortunately, that same statement can be said in reverse as well. I’ve spoken to Burnett a few times over the years, and he’s a good guy – one of those players that you root for. I hope this is the season that he can harness his amazing stuff over a six month stretch. If he manages to do that, he’ll be a steal.