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Many MLB managers like to ease their veteran star players into spring training and limit the amount of game time they see. Warming up athletes while simultaneously mitigating their risk of injury is a hard balancing act to perfect. Corbin Burnes is making life easy for Arizona Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo, however. He wanted the ball immediately.
The huge offseason acquisition made a dazzling first impression on Snakes fans in his Cactus League debut with the team. He struck out the side in his only inning of work against the Colorado Rockies on Friday afternoon, benefiting from two successful challenges with MLB's experimental Automated-Ball-Strike system. Burnes explained how important it was for him to experience in-game action right away.
“I can't remember which camp it was, maybe 2021 or 2022,” the 30-year-old starting pitcher said, per Jack Sommers of Arizona Diamondbacks on SI, after the ballclub's 12-8 loss.
“I was limited to four, I think. Just kind of slow working in. Just didn't quite feel ready going into opening day that year. And took a couple to kind of feel like my legs are underneath me and kind of spinning things well. So for me, I'd rather err on the side of getting the games a little bit too early.”
Burnes mixed in all his pitches and found particular success with his sinker. He also displayed strong rapport with his new catcher, 2023 Gold Glover Gabriel Moreno. D-backs fans know better than to overreact to a minuscule sample size, but it is hard to not get excited about their new ace.
Corbin Burnes can be a calming presence for Diamondbacks
Arizona relied heavily on their top-notch lineup in the 2024 season but fell brutally short of a National League Wild Card slot. Although they still have a plethora of young, productive bats on the roster, their identity is expected to tie into their stout starting pitching rotation. There are questions throughout the staff, but the team is trusting Burnes to keep it stable at the top.
The veteran righty has exemplified amazing consistency over the last few seasons, boasting one of the best floors of any starter in baseball. His ceiling is not so bad, either, as he won Cy Young in 2021 with the Milwaukee Brewers and finished fifth in voting while playing for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024 (15-9 with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts).
The Diamondbacks firmly believe Burnes is the ace they need in order to return to the playoffs and possibly challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, hence why they signed him to a six-year, $210 million contract. Arizona was below .500 for most of the first half of last season, which ultimately proved to be its undoing. If Burnes can feel good going into Opening Day, then maybe he can be a critical tone-setter for the club.
By the looks of it, diving right into Cactus League play was a sound idea. He will try to build even more momentum in his next spring training outing.
