Scouting Report
Updated May 20, 2026
Mike Burrows, acquired by the Houston Astros in the offseason, has had an inconsistent first season with the team. Through early May 2026, he carries a 5.72 ERA over 50.1 innings with a 2-5 record and 1.53 WHIP. While he showed flashes of brilliance with a career-best 7-inning shutout against Cincinnati (3 hits, 1 walk, 6 K's), he has struggled with pitch command and contact quality. Batters are hitting .325 against his fastball and .318 against his slider, with elevated exit velocities (89.7 mph avg on slider vs 86.6 league avg). His ground ball rate is down 4% from last season and ranks in the 26th percentile. Despite underlying metrics suggesting better performance than his ERA indicates, results have been disappointing. Recent outing vs Seattle saw him allow 7 runs in 5.2 innings with 3 walks and 2 home runs.
Strengths
- + Career-high 7 scoreless innings vs Cincinnati with only 3 hits allowed
- + Back-to-back quality starts showing ability to execute when locating pitches
- + Expected ERA 2.12 runs better than actual ERA through first 7 starts, suggesting some bad luck
- + Strikeout potential with 46 K's through 50.1 innings
- + Manager Joe Espada believes performance is better than box score shows
- + Survived bases-loaded jam in 4th inning vs Reds demonstrating composure
About
Michael Burrows is a sp for the Houston Astros.
Player Overview
SP
Houston Astros