Last night was all about Starling Marte. How could it not have been? The hotly anticipated debut of the Pirates' top position prospect got started with a bang as Marte deposited the first pitch he saw into the left field bleachers. No one would therefore blame you if you failed to notice that A.J. Burnett had another tremendous start for the Bucs, pitching 7.1 strong innings, giving up only two runs, walking one batter and striking out five en route to his 12th victory of the season.
Indeed, Burnett has been a steadying force in the rotation and has consistently pitched deep into ballgames. In his 18 starts, he's pitched at least six innings 14 times and at least seven innings on eight separate occasions. He has a very solid 3.52 ERA and a similarly strong 3.49 xFIP. That's a good omen for continued success. Part of his success stems from his wicked curveball that he can use as an out-pitch. His K/9 rate is a healthy 7.36, while he's only walking 2.74 batters per nine innings. His 1.8 WAR is already higher than each of his last two full seasons with the Yankees, who are paying the majority of Burnett's contract that runs through next season.
It's very possible that by season's end, Burnett will have a WAR exceeding 3.0, which would make it his most valuable season, statistically, since he helped the New York Yankees win the 2009 World Series. I sure like the sound of that. Throw in his off-the-field influence on James McDonald and the rest of the pitching staff, and you've got an incredibly valuable asset.
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