Another interesting mark in baseball was produced last night in San Diego. Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes threw six innings, struck out 10, and didn’t walk anyone. So on the year, he’s struck out 40 hitters in four starts and walked no one, a new record. The previous highest total without a walk was Adam Wainwright in 2013 with 35.
Burnes is certainly a plus-plus starter, and you have to be wowed by the idea of any stretch of 40 Ks without a walk, much less to start a season when logic would dictate that he would still be working out some kinks.
Burnes has given up all of eight hits in four starts, and one run. You’d think that being around the zone that much, he’d find more bats than that. But that’s how good his stuff is.
But that’s just it. Hitters know he’s going to be around the zone and yet they can’t do much with it. Maybe you can blame the environment and that hitters just aren’t trying hard enough to make simple contact. Or it’s yet another example of how pitchers’ arsenals have just become too dynamic. Likely, it’s both. But in Burnes’ outings, only half the hitters have even gotten the ball in play. Is that all that enjoyable to watch?
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