Post-draft outlook on Jacob Bimbi, Mason Burns and Grant Burleson
Post-draft outlook on Jacob Bimbi, Mason Burns and Grant Burleson
#ProTops: Experts on the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros minor league systems stop by to discuss the Hilltopper trio drafted last month.
Just over two weeks ago, the Western Kentucky baseball program made minor history by having three players get drafted in the 2024 MLB draft.
It marked the first time since the 2011 draft that at least three Hilltoppers were selected in the same draft. In that 2011 draft, five Hilltoppers heard their name get called.
With the post-draft haze mostly now in the rearview mirror, three experts in their respective systems - Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects, Brian Walton of The Cardinal Nation and Jimmy Price of Astros Future - stopped by to provide their outlook on how Jacob Bimbi, Mason Burns and Grant Burleson, respectively, project as they begin their minor-league careers.
Note: Interviews are ordered based on where players were drafted.
This is a long article. If you want to jump to your favorite player or system, use this table of contents to do so:
Pirates Prospects on Jacob Bimbi
The Cardinal Nation on Mason Burns
Astros Future on Grant Burleson
Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects on Jacob Bimbi
Tim Williams is the founder and sole wordsmith for Pirates Prospects. A sports writer since 2007, Williams started Pirates Prospects in the same year - though under a different name - and moved to covering the system full time in 2011. In addition to his work at Pirates Prospects, Williams has also served as a Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019.
The Towel Rack: What is the Pirates general draft philosophy (if they have one), and how does Jacob Bimbi - as you understand him as a draft prospect - fit into that philosophy?
Pirates Prospects: The Pirates added a new amateur scouting director, Justin Horowitz, this past offseason. It's hard to say what their draft philosophy is, since this was the first draft under Horowitz. In the first draft, they went heavy on harder-to-sign prep players with the early picks, and switched to college players after the third round. They were pretty evenly split between pitchers and position players, but did take several lefties, including Bimbi. PNC Park is a great place for lefty pitchers, so it's a good strategy to load up on that side of the mound.
TTR: How are the Pirates regarded when it comes to developing their pitchers?
PP: This is the strength of the Pirates' system. I've heard for years from other scouts that they do a good job developing pitchers in the lower levels. The positive reviews come from a program aimed at building up muscle and strength, paired with clean mechanics. This allows pitchers to improve velocity and control of the fastball, from a delivery aimed at long-term health. From there, they've shown a good ability to improve secondary offerings.
There were a lot of years where they couldn't get the expected MLB performance out of their pitching prospects. They had some of the best pitchers in the game, like Gerrit Cole and Tyler Glasnow, but those pitchers didn't reach their potential until they left the Pirates. That final piece of the pitching development puzzle seems to be fixed. The Pirates are getting the expected performance out of 2023 first overall pick Paul Skenes this year, along with above-average results from rookie Jared Jones, and improvements for the fourth season in a row from Mitch Keller.
From the moment pitchers enter this system, to the moment they're ready for the majors, there is reason for optimism about their development.
TTR: Bimbi was taken in the 11th round. Can you think of any players in recent years that have blossomed into top 30 or 50 prospects from this late in the draft?
PP: The 11th round is the first pick on day three of the draft, which can be significant. Teams have a chance to reset their draft boards for the final ten rounds, with most of day three aimed at filling out the minor league system depth. The 11th round, however, is usually higher on the rankings as a guy teams prioritize to get in the system.
The last four drafts have seen the Pirates take college pitchers with their 11th round pick. Jack Carey, a right-hander drafted in 2021, has reached the Double-A level this year. Left-hander Dominic Perachi, the 2022 11th rounder, is looking great as a starter in High-A Greensboro, with some time in Double-A this year. Last year's pick, left-hander Magdiel Cotto, has spent this season putting up good numbers in relief in Single-A.
The Pirates have a deep system, so it's difficult for a post-10th round pick to crack the top 50. I think a more significant marker is reaching the Double-A level. I've heard from scouts in the past that if a player can reach Double-A and perform, he's got a good shot at putting himself on the Major League radar. All three of the previous 11th round college pitchers are putting themselves on the radar, especially the lefties. That speaks well to Bimbi's opportunity.
TTR: How can WKU fans who might not be Pirates fans best follow Bimbi’s status through the system?
PP: If I can provide a shameless plug, I keep track of the daily minor league results at PiratesProspects.com, with a goal to provide information on every player in the system.
This is one of the best times to follow minor league baseball. Every team has their games streamed online, and the Gameday apps allow you to follow what is happening at every level from your phone, no matter where you are. When I started my site, you would have to go to the game to see a player live, and you often wouldn't get accurate results until the next day. Today, it's easy for WKU fans to follow Bimbi on a nightly basis, following his every pitch live.
And of course, I'll be providing perspective on where he fits in among the rest of the Pirates' system at my site.
TTR: We’re nearing a couple of weeks since the draft ended. Have you dove into Bimbi any further since his drafting? If so, do you see him being a major leaguer one day?
PP: I haven't had a chance to dig deeper into Bimbi, but what I know so far is promising. He's got a four pitch mix, and was hitting 94 MPH after returning from his Tommy John surgery in 2020. I realize that he didn't have the best ERA for Western Kentucky, with a 6.09 mark in 54.2 innings, but his 71 strikeouts stand out.
What I really like about him is that he doesn't have a lot of development time in college. The focus in college ball tends to be win-now, and there's not as much priority on long-term development for players. When a player reaches pro ball, the focus goes from win-now, to developing that player with a goal of maximizing his potential to reach the Major Leagues.
As I noted, the Pirates have a good development system for pitchers. Bimbi enters pro ball with a good foundation for that development. They'll likely focus on ensuring he's throwing with mechanics that will keep him healthy, while maximizing his four pitch mix to develop the best approach for upper-level professional hitters. The fact that he didn't have a lot of innings in college means he likely has fewer bad habits to correct in pro ball.
It's difficult projecting any draft pick as a future Major League player. That said, a lefty who can hit 94, with a curveball, changeup, and slider added to the mix, has a good opportunity to advance to Double-A or higher -- with a chance then to put himself on the radar for a future Major League career. Bimbi will be an interesting guy to watch as he takes the next step to developing in a professional setting.
This has been an enjoyable year to cover the Pirates. At the Major League level, they are starting to look like a team that could be a serious contender for the remainder of the decade. In the minors, they've got a good development system, which excels on the pitching side. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't take a moment to stop and appreciate that I get to dive into the details of the sport I love, and write about it for a living. That's all possible by the massive reader support over the years at PiratesProspects.com.
Brian Walton of The Cardinal Nation on Mason Burns
Brian Walton is the publisher and editor of The Cardinal Nation, joining the website in 2003 and having led the site since 2009. The Cardinal Nation has existed to cover the St. Louis minor league system since 1998.
The Towel Rack: What is the Cardinals general draft philosophy (if they have one), and how does Mason Burns - as you understand him as a draft prospect - fit into that philosophy?
The Cardinal Nation: In terms of strategy, the Cardinals say they pick the best available player. For the second consecutive year, the Cardinals had no second rounder (and associated $2.225 million in cap space). Because of their poor 2023, they drafted seventh overall, their earliest spot since 1998. In day three of the draft, rounds 11-20, the Cardinals went senior heavy. These picks traditionally receive smaller signing bonuses because they have no leverage to threaten to return to school.
Burns received $80,000 to sign, which was on the low end of bonuses given by the Cardinals this year.
Typically, most day three pitchers end up being relievers. Burns already having success as a closer should be a plus for him.
TTR: How are the Cardinals regarded when it comes to developing their pitchers?
TCN: Traditionally, the Cardinals were known for their pitching development, but in recent years, they shifted their draft focus in the early rounds to hitting. As a result, their pitching pipeline was diminished. For example, St. Louis needed three starting pitchers for 2024 and had to go into the free agent market for all three. Last July, the Cardinals traded away several impending free agent MLB pitchers for pitching prospects to help fill the gaps, but to date, it hasn’t worked out.
TTR: Burns was taken in the 14th round. Can you think of any players in recent years that have blossomed into top 30 or 50 prospects from this late in the draft?
TCN: The most famous Cardinal taken in this area of the draft is future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, in the 13th round in 1999. More recently, current Cardinal Matt Carpenter was chosen in the 13th round in 2009. Former Cardinals All-Star closer Trevor Rosenthal was selected in the 21st round, also in 2009.
TTR: How can WKU fans who might not be Cardinals fans best follow Burns’ status through the system?
TCN: Once Burns is activated by the Cardinals and assigned to a minor league team, you can follow him at The Cardinal Nation.
However, that probably won’t be in 2024. Usually because they already pitched a long spring schedule for their college team and the pitchers often have down time prior to the July draft, pitchers drafted by the Cards are not activated by an affiliate their first partial year. They work out at the Cardinals complex in Jupiter, Florida and start the game phase of their pro career the next spring.
The Cardinal Nation has free daily game recaps and links to box scores from all minor league games across the Cardinals system. We also have local reporters covering all five Cardinals affiliates in the U.S. We rank top prospects monthly, pick Players and Pitchers of the Month, conduct player and manager interviews and so much more.
The Cardinal Nation has the most comprehensive coverage of the Cardinals minor league system anywhere. We stay with the players as their careers progress through the ranks at different levels with different teams.
TTR: We’re nearing a couple of weeks since the draft ended. Have you dove into Burns any further since his drafting? If so, do you see him being a major leaguer one day?
TCN: The odds are long to reach the major leagues for any player, especially late rounders, but it happens. Being drafted is the first step. As already mentioned, if Burns can translate his late inning relief success in college to the professional game, it could be a major advantage.
Jimmy Price of Astros Future on Grant Burleson
Jimmy Price is the owner and lead writer for Astros Future, a site dedicated to all-things in the Houston Astros system. Price started covering the system since 2013 and Astros Futures has existed since 2016.
The Towel Rack: What is the Astros general draft philosophy (if they have one), and how does Grant Burleson - as you understand him as a draft prospect - fit into that philosophy?
Astros Future: The Astros have really focused on a few things recently. They like to draft for upside and like to target guys that have a high VAA (vertical approach angle). As far as Burleson, I don't know enough about him but I would imagine he fits this mold somehow.
TTR: How are the Astros regarded when it comes to developing their pitchers?
AF: Astros are seen as one of the best organizations for developing pitchers. Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Jose Urquidy, Lance McCullers, Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti, Bryan Abreu just to name a few that are home grown.
TTR: Burleson was taken in the 18th round. Can you think of any players in recent years that have blossomed into top 30 or 50 prospects from this late in the draft?
AF: Two pitchers last year, James Hicks (13th round) and Jackson Nezuh (14th round) are doing really well and will be top 30 guys.
TTR: How can WKU fans who might not be Astros fans best follow Burleson’s status through the system?
AF: Not to toot my own horn, but I would think my site and social media accounts would be the best way to keep up with him. AstrosFuture.com, @AstrosFuture on X, Instagram and Facebook.
TTR: We’re nearing a couple of weeks since the draft ended. Have you dove into Burleson any further since his drafting? If so, do you see him being a major leaguer one day?
AF: I haven't been able to get enough data on Burleson to truly know much about him but I think he has the size and strikeout stuff to move up in the system.