Tigerbelle 5,299 Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 https://auburntigers.com/news/2020/6/9/baseball-auburns-tanner-burns-awaits-mlb-draft-another-step-of-chasing-my-dream.aspx?fbclid=IwAR0maqdQjCWVbow9ChH9sYn_zJEtB-3bLoPcqX3kmu7KHhHj_j_KfCIDXis AUBURN, Ala. – Tanner Burns, whom Auburn coach Butch Thompson calls "as competitive of a young man as I've even been around," has channeled his competitiveness into two new pursuits while he waits for Wednesday's Major League Baseball draft. Golfing and bicycling. Burns rides his bike, a gift from his older brother, 20 miles each Saturday with his cousin. With baseball on pause, golf clubs Tanner received as a Christmas present are seeing a lot of use. Burns has already improved his score from triple digits to an 84. In his most recent round, for the first time, he returned with as many golf balls in his bag as he had when he started. Burns, who earned a position in Auburn's weekend rotation as a freshman in 2018, was slated to start the Tigers' SEC opener against Texas A&M on March 13 when play was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, ultimately ending the 2020 season. "I really didn't know what to expect," Burns said. "I thought maybe we were going to come back in a week or two." In the past three months, he's maintained his regimen of throwing, workouts, sleep, nutrition and hydration. "I'm doing the same things I'd be doing leading up to Friday night pitching," he said. Burns, from Decatur, Alabama, and Auburn sophomore Garrett Wade, from Hartselle, take turns driving 20 minutes to each other's hometowns to keep their pitching arms in shape. "It's nice having him, a teammate and one of my best friends, to throw with," Burns said. Burns hopes to become Auburn's ninth first-round draft selection. He's one of 23 top prospects who will virtually join ESPN and MLB Network's draft coverage beginning Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT. "It'd be awesome," Burns said. "It's every dream come true. That was the reason to go to Auburn in the first place. One, to have my name chosen, that'd be cool. The second one is to get the big leagues, so this is just another step of chasing my dream. The ultimate goal is to pitch in the big leagues, and pitch in the big leagues as long as you can. I'm excited about it. I'm fortunate to be in the situation I'm in." Burns thanked everyone involved in Auburn's baseball program for helping reach this point, including Thompson, former pitching coach Steve Smith, current pitching coach Tim Hudson, strength and conditioning coach Chris Joyner and senior assistant athletic trainer Anthony Sandersen. "It's not just me," Burns said. "I've had a lot of help to be put in this situation, my name being called." Burns also thanked former Auburn teammate Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, who mentored Tanner during his freshman season. "He didn't have to do that," Burns said. "I respect Casey so much. He'll go down as one of my best friends. We talk to this day. It means a lot having a guy like with so much talent, so much awareness around him, what kind of pitcher he is, to even want to try to help me out. That shows a lot about his character, and how he cares about Auburn and wants to win. He invested time in me and I'm very grateful for that." Thompson recalled Mize, at the start of his draft-eligible season in the fall of 2017, making a special effort to invest in Burns, Alabama's Mr. Baseball and the national high school player of the year. "As soon as Tanner stepped on campus, I remember Casey Mize saying, 'I'm taking Tanner Burns under my wing,'" Thompson said. "'He's going to be my throwing partner every day,'" just as Keegan Thompson had done for Mize years before. "I think Casey Mize will share in some of this with Tanner, because he took him under his wing from day one," Thompson said. "You need to surround yourself with people that will make you better, can make you faster. We see that happening in our program and I think that's amazing. Tanner got that whole first year just sitting there watching Casey - saw what he's going through, evaluated his game. I think a lot of growth came from their relationship and their connection." Burns completed his Auburn career with a 14-9 record, 2.86 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 188.2 innings, helping the Tigers reach the College World Series in 2019 for the first time in 22 years. Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 37th round out of high school, Burns will extend Auburn's streak of having a player selected in the MLB Draft to 46 years, tied for the SEC's longest. "He just loves to compete," Thompson said. "He's a great teammate. He cares about everybody around him. He's as loyal as the day is long. I appreciate and respect every one of those qualities about Tanner. I want the best for him. "When you really like a guy, you never want him to leave. He's worked hard and put himself in position to take the next step." Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer Print Friendly Version PLAYERS MENTIONED #32 Tanner Burns RHP 6' 0" 215 lbs Junior #22 Garrett Wade LHP 6' 2" 205 lbs Sophomore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUBURN, Ala. – Tanner Burns, whom Auburn coach Butch Thompson calls "as competitive of a young man as I've even been around," has channeled his competitiveness into two new pursuits while he waits for Wednesday's Major League Baseball draft. Golfing and bicycling. Burns rides his bike, a gift from his older brother, 20 miles each Saturday with his cousin. With baseball on pause, golf clubs Tanner received as a Christmas present are seeing a lot of use. Burns has already improved his score from triple digits to an 84. In his most recent round, for the first time, he returned with as many golf balls in his bag as he had when he started. Burns, who earned a position in Auburn's weekend rotation as a freshman in 2018, was slated to start the Tigers' SEC opener against Texas A&M on March 13 when play was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, ultimately ending the 2020 season. "I really didn't know what to expect," Burns said. "I thought maybe we were going to come back in a week or two." In the past three months, he's maintained his regimen of throwing, workouts, sleep, nutrition and hydration. "I'm doing the same things I'd be doing leading up to Friday night pitching," he said. Burns, from Decatur, Alabama, and Auburn sophomore Garrett Wade, from Hartselle, take turns driving 20 minutes to each other's hometowns to keep their pitching arms in shape. "It's nice having him, a teammate and one of my best friends, to throw with," Burns said. Burns hopes to become Auburn's ninth first-round draft selection. He's one of 23 top prospects who will virtually join ESPN and MLB Network's draft coverage beginning Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT. "It'd be awesome," Burns said. "It's every dream come true. That was the reason to go to Auburn in the first place. One, to have my name chosen, that'd be cool. The second one is to get the big leagues, so this is just another step of chasing my dream. The ultimate goal is to pitch in the big leagues, and pitch in the big leagues as long as you can. I'm excited about it. I'm fortunate to be in the situation I'm in." Burns thanked everyone involved in Auburn's baseball program for helping reach this point, including Thompson, former pitching coach Steve Smith, current pitching coach Tim Hudson, strength and conditioning coach Chris Joyner and senior assistant athletic trainer Anthony Sandersen. "It's not just me," Burns said. "I've had a lot of help to be put in this situation, my name being called." Burns also thanked former Auburn teammate Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, who mentored Tanner during his freshman season. "He didn't have to do that," Burns said. "I respect Casey so much. He'll go down as one of my best friends. We talk to this day. It means a lot having a guy like with so much talent, so much awareness around him, what kind of pitcher he is, to even want to try to help me out. That shows a lot about his character, and how he cares about Auburn and wants to win. He invested time in me and I'm very grateful for that." Thompson recalled Mize, at the start of his draft-eligible season in the fall of 2017, making a special effort to invest in Burns, Alabama's Mr. Baseball and the national high school player of the year. "As soon as Tanner stepped on campus, I remember Casey Mize saying, 'I'm taking Tanner Burns under my wing,'" Thompson said. "'He's going to be my throwing partner every day,'" just as Keegan Thompson had done for Mize years before. "I think Casey Mize will share in some of this with Tanner, because he took him under his wing from day one," Thompson said. "You need to surround yourself with people that will make you better, can make you faster. We see that happening in our program and I think that's amazing. Tanner got that whole first year just sitting there watching Casey - saw what he's going through, evaluated his game. I think a lot of growth came from their relationship and their connection." Burns completed his Auburn career with a 14-9 record, 2.86 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 188.2 innings, helping the Tigers reach the College World Series in 2019 for the first time in 22 years. Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 37th round out of high school, Burns will extend Auburn's streak of having a player selected in the MLB Draft to 46 years, tied for the SEC's longest. "He just loves to compete," Thompson said. "He's a great teammate. He cares about everybody around him. He's as loyal as the day is long. I appreciate and respect every one of those qualities about Tanner. I want the best for him. "When you really like a guy, you never want him to leave. He's worked hard and put himself in position to take the next step." Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer Print Friendly Version PLAYERS MENTIONED #32 Tanner Burns RHP 6' 0" 215 lbs Junior #22 Garrett Wade LHP 6' 2" 205 lbs Sophomore
Gr82batigr 97 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 TB is a Cleveland Indian. Pick #36. Thanks for being an AU Tiger the past 3 years. 🐅🐅🐅 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerCatcher 182 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Pretty good night for one heck of a competitor. Butch Thompson continues his legacy of producing top quality MLB pitching prospects. MLB Draft slot values 2020 36 Indians $2,045,400 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerbrotha12 2,362 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Btw, that makes two first round pitchers out of Auburn in 3 seasons. Heck of a recruiting angle for Butch and the boys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKEEL75 2,566 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 link Quote Tanner Burns selected 36th overall by the Cleveland Indians ByJASON CALDWELL 9 hours ago x AUBURN, Alabama—For the second time in three years and the third time since Butch Thompson took over the Auburn program, the Tigers had a player selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft when junior right-handed pitcher Tanner Burns was picked 36th overall by the Cleveland Indians in the competitive balance round. Burns joins number one pick Casey Mize from 2018 and first round selection Anfernee Grier as the top picks under Thompson and becomes the ninth Auburn player all-time to be chosen on the first day of the draft. Thompson says the Indians are getting a quality pitcher and a quality person in Burns, someone who can help the organization more than just as a pitcher. “A proven guy that’s been good for a long, long, long time,” Thompson says of what stands out about his junior pitcher. “He’s always been good. He’s a guy that’s the best player in the state coming through high school. He’s a guy that did it in the eighth or ninth grade. He’s a guy that’s come to us and become a freshman All-American. He’s a guy that is not done yet. I still think he’s a developing pitcher. “I thought Casey Mize was kind of a finished product for what we could do for him at the time and he was the first pick overall a couple of years ago," the coach says. "Tanner, I think, is a first rounder that’s still has a high ceiling and to me that’s exciting. The first thing I think about is they’re getting a guy that’s always been good, always been highly thought of, that’s represented our country, that’s done it in the SEC, that’s worked up to becoming a Friday night guy, that still has to pick up a breaking ball. “He’s always had a survivable, competitive fastball, and I think his off-speed, his pitch usage, all those things still have room to grow and will grow. Personally, and I start going into the intangible side of things and he’s about as competitive a young man I’ve ever been around. He’s one of the best teammates. He cares about everybody around him and he’s as loyal as the day is long. I appreciate and respect everyone of those qualities about Tanner. He’s one of those, that man, I’m just going to hate to see him go.” In three seasons with the Tigers, Burns has a career record of 14-9 in 36 career starts. With a career ERA of 2.86, Burns struck out 210 batters in just 188 2/3 innings while issuing just 67 walks. Off to a strong start as a junior, Burns was 3-1 in 2020 with a 2.42 ERA and posted 32 strikeouts with just seven walks in 22 1/3 innings pitched. As a sophomore Burns threw a complete game shutout against Cincinnati and tied a school record with 15 strikeouts in the victory. That total ties him Mize, Chris Bootcheck, Tim Hudson, John Powell and Mark Chapman for the most in a single game for the Tigers. As someone who has seen Burns while at Auburn and while he was recruiting him for Vanderbilt, Coach Tim Corbin says Burns is someone he believes is going to be a very good pitcher for a long time. "We have a lot of experience with him," Corbin says. "He's 6-0, but about 220 or 225. You're talking about man strength with his body. You probably compare him to Jeff Brantley, the former Mississippi State pitcher. He's got high believability in the fastball and he should because it spins really well. He's got great success when he throws it up in the zone. He's a bulldog. He's a max competitor and he's won for a long period of time." Tanner Burns had a strong start to his 2020 season. (Photo: Adam Sparks/Inside The Auburn Tigers , 247Sports) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.