Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40 

Burkhalter was effective as a reliever but had trouble locating his pitches in his first two seasons at Auburn before pounding the strike zone and taking off in his third. He finished second in NCAA Division I with 16 saves this spring, including both of the Tigers' super-regional wins and their lone College World Series victory. His 10.1 K/BB ratio would have ranked fourth if he had logged enough innings to qualify. 

Burkhalter scrapped a slider he couldn't land for strikes and replaced it with an upper-80s cutter that shows signs of becoming a plus offering and works against both left-handers and right-handers. He sets it up with a 92-95 mph fastball that touches 98 and features carry and armside run. He also has upgraded his control of his 82-85 mph changeup, a solid pitch with fade and sink. 

Though he has three pitches and cut his walk rate from 6.8 per nine innings in 2020-21 to 1.4 this season, Burkhalter is strictly a reliever. He never started a game in college and is a 6-footer with some effort in his delivery. If he can improve his command in similar fashion to the gains he made with his control, he could serve as a set-up man at the next level. 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

In his first two seasons pitching out of the Auburn bullpen, Burkhalter showed off good stuff but little idea of where it was going. In his final season with the Tigers, he took a huge step forward in finding the strike zone and became of the nation’s best closers, saving 16 games and posting an eye-popping 10.1 K/BB ratio. Seen as the kind of college reliever who could potentially move quickly through a system, he was the Braves’ selection with the No. 76 overall pick in the 2022 Draft, but heading into the 2024 season, he has just three outings from that summer on his professional resume because he tore his UCL in Spring Training in 2023 and needed Tommy John surgery. He returned at the end of May and pitched well with High-A Rome.

The six-foot right-hander was up to 98 mph before the injury and sat around 93 mph at Auburn in 2022 with a fastball that has good carry and arm-side run. Shelving a slider he couldn’t command in favor of a cutter he can crank into the low-90s was a good move as it’s a pitch he lands for strikes and uses to miss both right-handed and left-handed bats. He also has a solid low-80s fading changeup with sink.

While he has been getting the opportunity to start to get innings in, Burkhalter is seen by most as a reliever in the future despite his three-pitch mix because he’s bit undersized and has some effort in his delivery. If he can show that the control gains he made in his last year of college are real, he has the chance to pitch impactful innings as a set-up man in the big leagues.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

In his first two seasons pitching out of the Auburn bullpen, Burkhalter got outs but struggled with the strike zone. That all changed in 2022 as his command vastly improved and led to him finishing second in Division I baseball with 16 saves. His combination of missing bats and improved pitchability helped him land at pick No. 76 in the Draft, where the Braves signed him for an under-slot bonus of $647,500.

Burkhalter has three pitches he now can throw for strikes, and all three have the chance to be above-average offerings. He can run his fastball up to 98 mph, typically sitting in the 92-95 mph range, throwing the four-seamer with good carry and arm-side run. He switched from throwing a slider he couldn’t command to an upper-80s cutter he throws to hitters on both sides of the plate, and his low-80s changeup features good fade and sink.

Because Burkhalter is just 6-feet tall and has some effort in his delivery, most feel he’s a reliever only -- he never started a game in college -- even though he has a three-pitch mix with good control. He has the ceiling of a setup man, one who could move pretty quickly through the system.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40 

Drafted by the Braves in the second round (76th overall) in the First-Year Player Draft. Made three appearances, two starts, in his first professional season after being drafter out of Auburn University. Tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in two outings with Single-A Augusta while allowing two runs in 0.1 innings pitched in his lone appearance for High-A Rome.

Burkhalter was effective as a reliever but had trouble locating his pitches in his first two seasons at Auburn before pounding the strike zone and taking off in his third. He finished second in NCAA Division I with 16 saves this past spring, including both of the Tigers' super-regional wins and their lone College World Series victory. His 10.1 K/BB ratio would have ranked fourth if he had logged enough innings to qualify and his improved pitchability helped him land in the second compensation round, where he signed with the Braves for $647,500.

Burkhalter scrapped a slider he couldn't land for strikes and replaced it with an upper-80s cutter that shows signs of becoming a plus offering and works against both left-handers and right-handers. He sets it up with a 92-95 mph fastball that touches 98 and features carry and arm-side run. He also has upgraded his control of his 82-85 mph changeup, a solid pitch with fade and sink. 

Although he has three pitches and cut his walk rate from 6.8 per nine innings in 2020-21 to 1.4 in 2022, Burkhalter is likely a reliever long-term. He never started a game in college and is a 6-footer with some effort in his delivery. If he can improve his command in similar fashion to the gains he made with his control, he could serve as a set-up man at the next level.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	06/09/2024	Rome Emperors activated RHP Blake Burkhalter from the 7-day injured list.
	05/28/2024	Rome Emperors sent RHP Blake Burkhalter on a rehab assignment to FCL Braves.
	04/05/2024	Rome Emperors placed RHP Blake Burkhalter on the 7-day injured list.
	11/03/2023	Rome Braves activated RHP Blake Burkhalter.
	11/03/2023	Rome Braves activated RHP Blake Burkhalter from the full-season injured list.
	04/06/2023	RHP Blake Burkhalter roster status changed by Rome Braves.
	02/01/2023	RHP Blake Burkhalter roster status changed by Atlanta Braves.
	02/01/2023	Atlanta Braves invited non-roster RHP Blake Burkhalter to spring training.
	09/13/2022	RHP Blake Burkhalter assigned to Rome Braves from Augusta GreenJackets.
	09/13/2022	Rome Braves activated RHP Blake Burkhalter.
	08/30/2022	RHP Blake Burkhalter assigned to Augusta GreenJackets from FCL Braves.
	08/13/2022	RHP Blake Burkhalter assigned to FCL Braves.
	07/30/2022	Atlanta Braves signed RHP Blake Burkhalter.
	06/10/2022	College Workout activated RHP Blake Burkhalter.
	06/10/2022	RHP Blake Burkhalter assigned to College Workout.
	02/04/2022	RHP Blake Burkhalter and assigned to Auburn Tigers.