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William John Burns (born August 30, 1989) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals.
| Billy Burns | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Burns with the Oakland Athletics | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born: August 30, 1989 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 28, 2014, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 21, 2017, for the Kansas City Royals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .270 |
| Home runs | 5 |
| Runs batted in | 55 |
| Stolen bases | 46 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Amateur
Burns attended George Walton Comprehensive High School in Marietta, Georgia,[1] and Mercer University. In 2011, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[2]
Washington Nationals
He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 32nd round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft,[3] and started the 2013 season with the Potomac Nationals but was promoted to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators during the season.[4] Burns hit .315/.425/.383 and stole 74 bases between the two levels.[5] After the season, he was named the Nationals Minor League Player of the Year.[6][7]
Oakland Athletics
On December 11, 2013, the Nationals traded Burns to the Oakland Athletics for Jerry Blevins.[8] Burns hit .250/.333/.330, with 51 stolen bases, before being called up to the majors from the Double-A Midland RockHounds on July 28, 2014.[5][9]
On May 24, 2015 he hit his first MLB home run against Tampa Bay Rays, when he swung on the first pitch of the game. In 2015 he batted 294/.334/.392 with 26 stolen bases, and led the majors in percentage of soft-hit batted balls (31.0%).[10]
Kansas City Royals
On July 30, 2016, the Athletics traded Burns to the Kansas City Royals for Brett Eibner.[11]
The Royals designated Burns for assignment on February 28, 2018.[12] He cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers on March 4.[13] In 102 games for Omaha, Burns batted .255/.314/.317 with four home runs, 36 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. He elected free agency following the season on November 2.[14]
New York Yankees
On January 4, 2019, the New York Yankees signed Burns to a minor league contract.[15] He received a non-roster invitation to spring training in 2019.[16] In 93 games for the Triple–A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, he hit .258/.330/.360 with two home runs, 25 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. Burns elected free agency following the season on November 4.[17]
As of July 15, 2020, Burns had retired from professional baseball and become a real estate agent.
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His sister, Abbey, is a member of the U.S. Paralympic Swim Team.[18]
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