Brewers: 4 Ways Corbin Burnes Just Made History… Again

Corbin Burnes is at it again. The Milwaukee Brewers co-ace has made even more baseball history in his latest outing.

After each Corbin Burnes start, a lot of people probably think to themselves, “It’ll be tough to top that” and then his next time out, he tops it.

The run that Burnes has been on is incredible, and he keeps on making not just Brewers history, but MLB history. Here are three records he just made.

Corbin Burnes Stat No. 1: Only pitcher with 30+ Ks and 0 BBs in first 3 starts of a season in Modern Era

Since 1906, no pitcher in baseball has done what Burnes has done to start a season. Through his first three starts he has yet to walk a batter and he’s struck out 30.

Walks had never been a huge issue in Burnes’ career, but in 2019 and 2020 he posted a BB/9 of 3.6, which isn’t bad, per se, but of course the lower the better when it comes to walk rate. Burnes has taken that to another level so far this year. He doesn’t even have a walk rate yet, because he hasn’t walked anybody.

With the lack of walks, one might think he’s pitching to a bunch of contact, right? Wrong.

Burnes’ 30 strikeouts in 18.1 IP gives him an astounding 14.9 K/9 on the season. He has struck out at least one batter in every inning he has completed. The only one he didn’t was the inning he gave up the home run to Byron Buxton and was pulled before he could finish it.

This type of command of the zone and strikeout ability literally hasn’t been seen since at least 1906.

Corbin Burnes Stat No. 2: First pitcher to have a streak of 3 games of 6+ IP and 2 or fewer baserunners in 120 years.

Not only is Burnes allergic to giving up walks, he’s allergic to giving up baserunners of any kind. Burnes hasn’t allowed more than two baserunners in any of his three starts this season, with just two allowed to Minnesota, one to the Cardinals, and two to the Cubs. The two hits the Cubs got off him on Wednesday was the most anyone has hit him all season.

This streak goes back even further to 1901, no one else has done something like this. Even Johnny Vander Meer, the only pitcher to throw back-to-back no-hitters, didn’t have a streak like this. Think about all the amazing pitchers we’ve seen in baseball over the last 120 years. None of them had a string of three starts with two or fewer baserunners.

Corbin Burnes Stat No. 3: Three consecutive starts of 6+ IP, 9+ Ks, and 2 or fewer hits

This one has been done before. Corbin Burnes now makes the club of pitchers who have accomplished this a group of three, joining Rube Marquard and Randy Johnson, both of whom are Hall of Famers.

When you’re in a club that only has Hall of Famers in it, you’re doing something right. Marquard led all of baseball that year with a 7.7 K/9 ratio. Baseball has changed a lot in the last 110 years.

Corbin Burnes Stat No. 4: Franchise Record For Consecutive Starts of 5+ IP and 1 ER or less.

This isn’t just a Burnes stat, but he’s played a major role in it. The Milwaukee Brewers have set a franchise record of eight consecutive games where the starting pitcher has gone at least five innings while allowing one earned run or less. Burnes has two of those starts in that streak.

This entire Brewers rotation has been incredibly good to start the 2021 season, not just Burnes. However, Burnes has clearly been the best of the group. Brandon Woodruff may have started on Opening Day, and he’s off to a good start as well, but Burnes is overshadowing everybody right now.

He finally got some run support and that helped secure a victory for the Brewers on Wednesday. His next start is going to be must-watch television and there will likely be more ways that he’ll make history then, too.

Burnes also helped his own cause on Wednesday, dropping in a 2 RBI single to extend his team’s lead. The man can do it all.