Maybe it will but it doesn't necessarily have to be the history of last season. A.J has been in the majors a long time he could repeat the history of any of his seasons or he could set highs for himself in all pitching categories. One thing no one doubts is Burnetts ability. He has the tools to be great, he needs to overcome the doubts that often bedevil him.

I would have to say it depends on how well he does. But it's an interesting question. I mean he's no Roy Halladay or anything (no offense), but he's been okay so far. Anyway, if he keeps his consistency, he may have another good year. We'll just have to wait and see.

Or maybe last year was a bad year. And this year has nothing to do with last year.

If you did any kind of due diligence before making a post like this, you could have found about a hundred explanations for Burnett's issues last year. Instead, you went with coincidental trash about a start against Boston.

Burnett was going through serious marital issues most of last season. There were issues with the pitching coach taking a month away without a ton of explanation. The bullpen coach (Harkey) messed AJ up a little trying to tweak things. Blah blah blah. Regardless, it was last year. And there's no indication that this year will be at all the same.

He gave the Yankees the same kind of trouble when he pitched for the Jays.That's one of the reasons they signed him. So, the potential is there. It just comes late to some guys sometimes. If I recall correctly Nolan Ryan was a .500 pitcher until entering the latter stages of his career. Of course, A.J. Burnett is no Nolan Ryan.

Yes... statistically he is mediocre.

So why would last year surprise you then? Maybe somebody knows something that you don't. Maybe that's why the team gave him the giant contract that they did. Is that possible?

Maybe they've actually watched him throw a baseball? Maybe they didn't want to go by his won/lost record or winning percentage... seeing as he played for the Marlins and Blue Jays, neither of whom were very good for most of the time he was in either place.

Maybe we already won a championship with this guy as our #2 starter in 2009. Maybe having seen what the guy's capable of when he's mechanically sound, some of us would prefer to be optimistic about this season, as he's a pretty important piece of our rotation, especially with Hughes out? Can we try that for a little while?

you are being mislead.
statistically and in performance he's been dramatically inconsistent, not mediocre.

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me·di·o·cre
adj \?me-de-'o-k?r\

Definition of MEDIOCRE

: of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance : ordinary, so-so

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that sounds like aj to you? ordinary? either he's nearly unhittable, inning to inning, or he's imploding.

it's obvious to anyone watching the yankee games this year, which many of our new england friends cant due to media limitations, that his head was the problem.
in the past he fell apart in the past when things didnt go his way. he was the antiandy pettite, who didnt have great stuff like aj but was very comfortable fighting thru situations with men on base.
his changeup has helped him grind it out when he doenst have the best stuff this year. even if he doesnt throw it they cant wait on his fastball so easily.

Everything you've said is true but I don't understand your concern with people on the board getting excited about him. He's pitched well ,people like that. There is no need to worry .A couple of bad starts and the concensus will be to trade/demote/fire/execute him.

He has averaged about 200 innings over the past 4 seasons and has an ERA+ of 105 and that is better than mediocre....He is not an ace, but I hope you do realize just how few major league pitchers actually average about 200 innings and have a ERA+ over 100 in baseball for 4 or more years consecutively, it is harder than it sounds....

lol soxachusetts post

i stayed up to watch your boys last nite on espn. i thought you said they were beginning to click?
it took them seven innings to get a hit.

lol

pedophile and mediocre?
somebody needs a dictionary for Christmas.