What MLB scouts and mock drafts think about Tanner Burns

After the 2020 Auburn baseball season was cut short by COVID-19, Tigers pitcher Tanner Burns will turn his attention to the 2020 MLB Draft.

In 2017, he was drafted with a courtesy selection to the New York Yankees in the 37th round but elected to go to Auburn. Three years later, he has worked his way up to being a potential first-round selection.

While pitching for Decatur High School in Decatur, Alabama, Burns’ solid pitch mix and good command earned him plenty of national attention. He was even named 2017 National High School Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball.

As a Tiger, Burns’ career statistics are impressive, boasting a 2.86 career ERA alongside 10 SO/9. These numbers are comparable to his former teammate Casey Mize (2.96 ERA and 10.9 SO/9), who was selected first overall in 2018.

With the draft just around the corner, here is what scouts and mock drafts think about Auburn's Tanner Burns heading into Wednesday night’s draft.

His fastball is his weapon of choice on the mound, as he throws it more than half of the time, and when he is at 100%, his fastball ranges from 92-97 MPH. MLB.com rates his fastball a 60 on their 20-80 pitch scale, his highest-graded pitch.

Since coming to Auburn, his changeup has developed as well. He throws it about 8 MPH slower, and with a grade of 50 on the MLB.com 20-80 scale, scouts seem hopeful that it will improve even more by the time he reaches the majors.

MLB.com’s report is concerned about Burns and his injury history. During the 2019 season, his shoulder tightness took him out of a game against Vanderbilt and kept him out of the rotation for two weeks after.

Scouts wanted to see what he could do in 2020, but the season was cut short. Burns was productive during the shortened 2020 season with an ERA of 2.42 in four starts and finished with a 3-1 record.

In regards to a comparison to a current MLB player, Jim Callis of MLB.com says, “...his proponents see some similarities to another former Southeastern Conference star, Sonny Gray.”

Gray received his first All-Star selection and finished seventh in the NL Cy Young Award voting in 2019.

Signs point to Burns being selected late in the first round, or possibly early in the second. Since all teams need pitchers, however, it’s challenging to determine what exact team will select him. With such a deep and exciting class of college pitchers and only five rounds, Burns may be the 9th or 10th pitcher chosen this year.

Regardless of his selection, Tiger fans should be excited to see another top pitching prospect come from the Plains. Taking a look at some mock drafts, The Plainsman has compiled a list of where Tanner Burns could end up.