



Major league baseball is trending toward pitchers -- especially relievers -- with big velocity, and while the Twins may appear far behind the curve based on the above finding, they're certainly not ignorant to this reality. The club's draft strategy in recent years has reflected an increased emphasis on power arms -- even those that are clearly slated for future roles in the bullpen -- and no one personifies this altered approach better than Nick Burdi.



The Twins selected the hard-throwing righty in the second round of last year's draft, and already he has become one of the most noteworthy relief prospects in all of the minor leagues. You've probably heard this crazy statistic : In 2014, the Twins had one pitcher (late-season call-up Lester Oliveros) throw a pitch that was clocked at 97 MPH or above. By comparison, the American League Champion Kansas City Royals registered 2,287 such pitches.Major league baseball is trending toward pitchers -- especially relievers -- with big velocity, and while the Twins may appear far behind the curve based on the above finding, they're certainly not ignorant to this reality. The club's draft strategy in recent years has reflected an increased emphasis on power arms -- even those that are clearly slated for future roles in the bullpen -- and no one personifies this altered approach better than Nick Burdi.The Twins selected the hard-throwing righty in the second round of last year's draft, and already he has become one of the most noteworthy relief prospects in all of the minor leagues.

22 (DOB: 1/19/93)20.1 IP, 2.66 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 38/16 K/BB2015NRBurdi's fastball has always set him apart. In high school, when he was already touching the mid-90s with the heater, his coach called him a "once-in-a-lifetime pitcher," adding "I don't expect I will get another guy who can throw 95 plus in high school."The Twins took notice of Burdi's stunning velocity early on, and selected him in the 24th round of the 2011 draft following his senior year, but he opted instead to attend college at the University of Louisville. That turned out to be a good decision.Burdi quickly developed into one of the most dominant collegiate closers in the country, proving almost unhittable while averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning. By his sophomore year, he was hitting triple-digits on the radar gun with some frequency . In his junior year, he posted a 0.49 ERA while piling up 65 strikeouts in 37 innings and holding opponents to a .135 batting average. The Twins once again drafted him, with the No. 46 overall pick last June, and this time Burdi signed for a $1.2 million bonus.As a polished college closer, Burdi skipped rookie ball and reported straight to Class-A Cedar Rapids after signing. He struggled badly in his pro debut, walking all four batters he faced, but from that point forward he looked very much like the overpowering force that he'd been at Louisville, putting up a 0.89 ERA while limiting the opposition to a .186/.260/.214 line between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. Oh, that was with opponents batting .406 on balls in play.Of the 82 hitters that Burdi faced between Low-A and High-A in his first taste of professional baseball, he struck out 38. That's 46 percent.With any tall, lanky pitcher who routinely works in the upper-90s, there are going to be two pre-eminent concerns: control and health. The latter has yet to become an issue for Burdi, and since he's being groomed strictly as a late-inning reliever, he may be able to avoid injuries stemming from overuse. Nevertheless, it will be worth keeping an eye on.As far as control, Burdi obviously had the major hiccup in his first pro appearance last summer, but otherwise had no issues, walking six hitters over his remaining 19 outings. Of course, when you're a 21-year-old coming out of a major college conference and firing 100-MPH fastballs at Single-A hitters, sometimes command issues can stay hidden. It'll be interesting to see how his walk rates shake out at the higher levels.There's nothing left for Burdi to prove in Single-A, so he will most likely open the season as the closer on a Class-AA Chattanooga roster that figures to be loaded with high-end prospect talent. From there, the righty will have a chance to rise very quickly if he continues to dominate with his devastating fastball/slider combo. It would be no surprise to see him in the majors setting up Glen Perkins by season's end.