TwinsCentric: Burdi may be Twins' future closer

You don't see a lot of pure relievers taken within the first 50 picks of the MLB draft, but the Twins used their second pick in 2014 – 46th overall – to select Nick Burdi. They had big plans for him and his dominating fastball, which had first caught their attention several years earlier. Those big plans still remain in place, even if a rather tumultuous 2015 season has set them back a little bit. Age: 23 (DOB: 1/19/93)2015 Stats (A+/AA): 63.2 IP, 3.82 ERA, 83/35 K/BB, 1.37 WHIPETA: 20162015 Ranking: 10 What's To Like Burdi started gaining national attention when he was touching 95 MPH with his fastball as a high schooler, a rare feat. He entered the draft after his senior year, expecting to be selected between the third and fifth rounds, but his well known signing bonus demands scared teams away. He fell all the way to the 24th, where the Twins – developing a heightened interest in big-velo power arms – took a shot on him. As expected, Burdi elected not to sign. He honored his commitment to the University of Louisville, where he played three seasons and turned into one of the nation's top closers. In 2014, his junior year, he notched 18 saves with a 0.49 ERA and ridiculous 65-to-10 K/BB ratio in 37 innings. When the 6-foot-5 right-hander re-entered the draft, the Twins took him again, 22 rounds higher, and this time signed him with a $1.2 million bonus. By the end of his collegiate career, Burdi's fastball was touching triple digits. With his premium velocity and absurd numbers at Louisville, he had the looks of a late-inning weapon and very possibly an eventual MLB closer. Unlike many other college relievers that the Twins drafted highly with designs on converting them to starters, there was never any real thought of changing Burdi's role. He reported straight to Single-A after signing in 2014 and made impressive stops at both Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers, piling up 38 strikeouts in 20 innings. What's Left To Work On Burdi opened the 2015 season as the closer for a stacked Chattanooga team managed by Doug Mientkiewicz. Just two steps away from the majors at the outset of his first full professional season, the 22-year-old righty was very much on the fast track. But it was here that Burdi's control issues, which had mostly gone missing since he walked all four batters he faced in his pro debut, flared up again. In his first outing for the Lookouts, he came on to close out a 3-0 lead in the season-opener and was charged with four runs on four walks and a hit, costing Chattanooga the game. Things didn't get a whole lot smoother after that. Burdi totaled 12 walks in his first seven appearances, then found himself demoted from the closer role and – at the end of June – from Double-A altogether. Frustrated by his continued struggles, the Twins sent Burdi back to Class-A Ft. Myers. For a young pitcher whose extreme confidence would be labeled by some as cocky, it was perhaps a needed dose of humility. Burdi quickly turned things around at Single-A, posting a phenomenal 29-to-3 K/BB ratio in 20 innings, and moved back up six weeks later. He finished with a clean month at Chattanooga, then headed to the Arizona Fall League, where he was nearly perfect in eight scoreless outings. It seems safe to say that whatever momentum was lost during that ugly first half of 2015 has now been regained. What's Next Burdi still hasn't shown that he can keep the walks in check at Double-A. Even during his successful return to the Lookouts bullpen in August, he handed out multiple free passes in four of eight appearances. Until he can sustainably keep it in the zone at that level, it's hard to see him being moved up to the majors or even Triple-A. Most likely he'll start the year back in Chattanooga, and if he can get off to a better start this time around he'll be well positioned for in-season promotions to Rochester and maybe Minnesota. I suspect that a strong belief in Burdi's ability and impending readiness played a large part in Terry Ryan's decision to mostly skip the free agent relief market this offseason. ~~~ We're counting down the Top 20 Twins Prospects over at Twins Daily. Take a look at our writeups for prospects 16-20 and prospects 11-15.