Remarkable Transformation
Donovan Schultz
On September 11, 2021, the Milwaukee Brewers took on the Cleveland Indians in what seemed to be a rather meaningless game. The Brewers came into the game with a record of 87-55 and a comfortable lead in the National League Central Division, while the Indians limped in at 69-71 and little to no chance at a playoff berth. The game began as expected, as the Brewers tacked on two runs in the top of the first inning before sending their ace Corbin Burnes to the mound in the bottom half of the frame. Over his previous 24 starts, Burnes had built up a strong case for the National League Cy Young award, boasting a 2.38 ERA and a staggering 5.14 strikeout to walk ratio. Burnes’s first pitch of the night showed everybody how he had amassed such gaudy numbers – a wicked 95 mph cutter painted at the bottom of the strike zone. Two devastating cutters later, Cleveland leadoff man Myles Straw was sent back to the dugout as Burnes tallied his first strikeout of the night. He struck out seven of the first nine Cleveland batters he faced, racked up five more Ks through the fifth, and most importantly, did not allow a hit. It was becoming obvious to everybody watching that Burnes had a chance to do something special. Among the viewers was Brewers relief pitcher Brent Suter, who was looking on from the bullpen. “He was another level [that night],” said Suter, sharing looks of amazement with the rest of the Brewers bullpen as Burnes continued to mow down the Cleveland offense. In the seventh, Burnes finally allowed a walk, ending his shot at a perfect game. However, he retired the final two batters of the inning, and walked off the mound shaking his head, as if telling manager Craig Counsell not to take him out of the game. Despite his pitch count being at 103, Burnes got his wish and took the mound once again in the eighth. With the help of a diving catch by centerfielder Lorenzo Cain, Burnes retired the side in order, and found himself just
| November 2021 | Crescent Magazine
three outs away from history. Unfortunately, Counsell could not be convinced to send Burnes out for the ninth inning, as his pitch count had climbed to 114. Instead, Counsell turned to dominant closer Josh Hader, and he punched out two more Cleveland batters en route to securing the first no hitter for the Brewers since 1987 and just the second in franchise history. Burnes’ performance that night in Cleveland, eight innings of no-hit baseball with fourteen punch-outs, seemed almost expected. He has dominated the league for two seasons, thanks in large part to his other-worldly cutter and warrior mentality. However, in 2019, this dominance seemed tremendously far-fetched, as Burnes was one of the worst pitchers in all of Major League Baseball that season. Although it would have been easy to quit after such a tough year, Burnes grinded through a rigorous offseason and transformed himself both physically and mentally. The result was a complete 180, as Burnes has taken the league by storm and looks poised to dominate for years to come. Burnes was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth round in 2016 and quickly made his way through the minor league ranks. He was tabbed as the Brewers fifth best prospect before being called-up in 2018, so the club had high hopes for him. Armed with a blistering four-seam fastball that averaged over 95 mph, Burnes found great success in the bullpen of a Brewers team that went 96-67 and fell one game short of the World Series. In 38 innings, Burnes turned in a 7-0 record with a 2.61 ERA, and heading into 2019, the sky appeared to be the limit for Burnes. He had made a case for being one of the best young pitchers in the game, and the Brewers decided to move him into the starting rotation. Unfortunately, the 2019 season proved to be disastrous for Burnes. In his first four starts of the year, Burnes posted a 13.50 ERA,
