Burns and Jordan Named 2013 Washington Nationals Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year
Woodbridge, VA-The Washington Nationals have announced 2013 Potomac Nationals OF Billy Burns and RHP Taylor Jordan as the recipients of the 2013 Washington Nationals Minor League Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year Awards.
Burns, 24, a native of Marietta, GA and a product of Mercer University (GA) selected by Washington in the 32nd round of the 2011 MLB Draft, finished his 2013 campaign with the Double-A Harrisburg Senators after being promoted from Potomac on 8/2. Burns hit .325 in 30 games for the Senators in which he scored 26 runs, walked 20 times, and stole 20 bases.
The switch-hitting speedster finished as the Carolina League's leader in stolen bases for the course of the season after stashing 54 swipes to complement the second-best batting average (.312) in the league over the course of 91 games played. Burns also led the circuit in triples (9) and on-base percentage (.422). Burns departed the Nationals with the longest hitting streak in the Carolina League this past season at 25 games and also earned the third-longest on-base streak in the league with 27 straight games reaching base safely to his credit.
Burns combined to earn a .315 batting clip over both Class-A affiliates while collecting 96 runs, 12 doubles, nine triples, 37 RBIs, 170 total bases, 72 walks, and 74 stolen bases in 121 total games. Burns' batting average registered as the best in the Washington Nationals farm system in 2013 (among hitters with a minimum of 100 games played) while he swung to the ninth best on-base percentage in MiLB (.425) and stole the third most bases in the Minor League landscape.
Burns was tabbed by Baseball America as the 26th best prospect in the Washington Nationals system prior to the 2013 season.
Burns was also honored as both a mid-season and year-end Carolina League All-Star during the 2013 season.
Jordan, 24, out of Merritt Island, FL and Brevard Community College (FL) was taken by the Nationals in the 9th round of the 2009 MLB Draft.
The crafty right-hander completed his first full season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery in September of 2011 and rehabbing that injury in 2012.
Jordan is tabbed as the top 2013 pitching performer in Washington's Minor League organization after a career season that featured a combined (9-1) record in 15 appearances and 14 starts on the Nationals' farm this year across two levels. For the P-Nats in the Carolina League, Jordan dealt to the tune of a (2-1) win/loss ledger and a 1.24 earned run average in six starts.
Following a promotion to Double-A Harrisburg on 5/9, the sinkerballer was lights out in the Eastern League logging a (7-0) record and an anemic 0.83 ERA in nine appearances and eight starts. Jordan fanned 43 batters and walked just nine men over a duration of 54.0 innings with the Senators pitching staff before making his Major League debut on 6/29 on the road against the New York Mets at Citi Field in Flushing, NY.
In his first start in the "The Show" against the Mets, Jordan tossed 4.1 innings and surrendered three runs, but only one earned run. Jordan struck out one, walked a pair, and gave up just five hits in a tough luck loss.
Jordan pitched to a (1-3) record for the Washington Nationals while donning a 3.66 ERA in his rookie Big League campaign.
According to the Washington Nationals, out of the 271 outs recorded this season in MiLB by Jordan, 210 outs, or 77.5% came via the ground ball (138) or the strikeout (72).
Jordan ranked as the 13th best prospect in the Nationals system by Baseball America entering 2013.
The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League play at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, and are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Washington Nationals. P-Nats 2014 season tickets and mini plans are now on sale. Sponsorship opportunities for the 2014 season and beyond are available. Plan your corporate outing now for the 2014 season to see the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz as the P-Nats offer discounted group rates and all-inclusive picnic options. Visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com or call the ticket office at 703-590-2311 for more information!