Alabama Reliever Thomas Burrows Selected by Seattle Mariners in Round 4 of MLB Draft

Alabama closer Thomas Burrows was the 11^th pick of the fourth round (117 overall), going to the Seattle Mariners in the 2016 MLB First Year Draft. Burrows is the first player taken from the 2015-16 Crimson Tide roster.

The Crimson Tide’s career saves leader, Burrows leaves Alabama with 30 saves and a 7-6 record and across 72 relief appearances. He maintained a 2.20 ERA (25 ER/102.1 IP) during his three seasons and held opposing hitters to a .210 average, allowing only 76 hits. The lefty also struck out 113 compared to 39 walks (2.9 K/BB) in his three years as the team’s primary closer.

Burrows finished his third season with a career-high 12 saves in 2016. The left-hander closed out his junior year with a lowly 0.95 ERA (3 ER/28.1 IP) and allowed only nine walks compared to 41 punchouts. Hitters were only able to manage 19 hits off Burrows, as he held the opposition to a lowly .179 average. He managed a 2-1 record to go with his 12 saves in 13 chances across 21 total appearances. His numbers were limited, as Burrows missed nearly a month with an oblique strain in March, but the Florence, Ala., native still put together his best season to date. For his efforts, Burrows was named to the Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List and was a candidate for All-America honors as a relief pitcher.

The draft will continue through Friday afternoon with rounds 3-10 airing live on MLB Network. The 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft will conclude on Saturday with coverage starting at 11 a.m. CT. The final day will cover rounds 11-40 and can be seen on MLB Network, as well. Both Friday and Saturday’s rounds can be followed online with a live draft tracker available at MLB.com.