Camila Sosa
It’s official: Current National League Cy Young Award winner, Corbin Burnes, will make the first MLB Opening Day appearance of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers. The news was confirmed yesterday his manager, Craig Counsell, announced it to the media. However, it was no secret that after his performance in the 2021 campaign, Burnes would be the new frontline horse of the Milwaukee team.
The right-hander will pitch on April 7 against the Chicago Cubs as a visitor, and it is still uncertain who he will face on the mound of Wrigley Field. But, whoever ends up being, he will know that he has a great challenge to open the new major league season since they will have one of the best pitchers in the last two years as a direct opponent. The Cubs’ decision could be between veteran right-handers Kyle Hendricks and newly signed Marcus Stroman.
Corbin Burnes’ MLB Career
Having a brilliant relief debut in 2018 (2.61 ERA, 7-0 mark, 1.00 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 38 innings), his transition to the starting position for the Brewers was a total disaster in 2019 thanks to a 1-5 mark, 8.82 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 48 runs allowed along with 17 home runs in 49 innings of action. However, neither the young Burnes nor the organization stopped believing in his potential.
The 2020 season was a breakthrough in every way, Burnes accumulated in the shortened campaign a 2.11 ERA, 88 strikeouts, WHIP of 1.02 and only 14 runs allowed along with two home runs in 59.2 innings played. His confirmation as an ace of Milwaukee’s rotation would come last year as he led the majors in ERA (2.43), FIP (1.63), home run average every nine innings (0.4) in addition to an 11-5 mark, 234 strikeouts, 45 runs allowed and just seven home runs conceded in 28 starts, for a total of 167 innings. All of which are numbers that would be more than enough to get his first selection as an All-Star and his first Cy Young award.
Burnes will replace teammate Brandon Woodruff, who had the Opening Day opening duties the last two seasons. With the two at the helm, the Brewers have one of the most dangerous rotations in the entire National League, not to mention the fact that they have perhaps the most talented bullpen in all the major leagues with Josh Hader and Devin Williams being the biggest names.
Despite winning the National League Central division with a 95–67 record, Milwaukee was eliminated in the Divisional Series in four games against the reigning champions, the Atlanta Braves. Will this be the year the Brewers reach the World Series?
