June 1, 2025 — ESPN analyst Karl Ravech sparked controversy this week when he boldly claimed that Corbin Burnes is “the most overrated pitcher in baseball,” despite his seemingly solid 3.12 ERA this season.
During a heated segment on Baseball Tonight, Ravech argued that Burnes’ traditional stats don’t tell the full story. “Look beyond the ERA,” Ravech said. “His command isn’t what it used to be, his strikeouts are down, and advanced metrics show he’s been bailed out by defense and luck. He’s not the same dominant force we saw in 2021.”
Ravech pointed to Burnes’ declining whiff rate (down to 24% in 2025 from 30% in his Cy Young season) and a concerning spike in hard contact (45% hard-hit rate, per Statcast). “Teams are squaring him up more than ever,” Ravech added. “If you watch the games, you see it—he’s not fooling hitters like before.”
The comments drew immediate backlash from Burnes’ supporters, including former teammate Brandon Woodruff, who tweeted: “ERA doesn’t lie. Corbin’s still one of the best. Some ‘analysts’ just love hot takes.”
But Ravech doubled down, citing Burnes’ shaky May performances, including a 5-run meltdown against the Dodgers on May 22 and a 4th-inning collapse vs. the Phillies on May 29. “Big-game pitchers don’t unravel like that,” Ravech argued.
Is Burnes truly overrated, or is Ravech overlooking his track record? One thing’s certain: the debate isn’t going away anytime soon.
