Tyler BurnettHow did he get here?: Drafted, 2010 (17th Round)
Stats: 6'0" 205 lbs, Bats: Left Throws: Right
Hometown/Birthplace: Murfreesboro, TN
Age as of April 1, 2011: 21
Position: 1B/3B
2010 Men of the Match: 5
2010 Overview
| PA | Avg/OBP/SLG | K:BB | XBH-RBI | K/PA% | XBH/H% |
| 312 | .250/.363/.392 | 56:45 | 24-31 | 17.9% | 36.9% |
What happened?
Burnett, drafted out of Middle Tennessee State University in the 17th Round, where he hit .351/.415/.584 in 2010 and was a pre-season All-Sun Belt Conference pick, hitting .344 in 2009.
Burnett had a solid season for the ValleyCats, leading the team in walks, earning July Employee of the Month honors for Tri-City, and was one of two ValleyCats named to the NYPL All-Star Team.
Burnett also stole six bases - getting caught stealing six times, also - but played solid defense. At 1B, where he played 36 of his 65 games in the field, Burnett made two errors in 355 chances, for a .994 Fld%. He also played 29 games at 3B, where he made six errors for a .929 Fld%.
What went right?
Walks. Burnett's 45 walks were good enough for 2nd in the NYPL. 37 of those walks were against RHP (18.2% BB/AB rate). 22 were at home with 23 on the road. 19 of his walks came with runners in scoring position.
July. Burnett exploded in July, hitting .330/.439/.511, with 16K:18BB, 12 XBH, and 18 runs scored.
What went wrong?
The stretch. In similar fashion for other college players in their first professional season, Burnett seemed to tire. In August, he hit .216/.347/.353 with 27K:19BB, and in five September games hit .190/.217/.333. In his last ten games, Burnett hit .220/.283/.341
Lefties. Burnett hit .228 (13x57) against LHP, but his .747 OPS was just 11 points below his OPS vs. RHP.
Burnett will also likely be sent up to Lexington, where his patience at the plate should pay off for him.
