How 8 Inches Helped the Angels Revitalize a Former AL West Rival Reliever

Sep 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Brock Burke (46) delivers to the plate in the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Baseball is a game of inches.

From the difference between a strikeout and a walk, a home run and a foul ball, and even a web gem to be seen on SportsCenter that night or a missed snag in the outfield, games are won and lost due to minor adjustments at times.

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Relief pitcher Brock Burke was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers last season and subsequently picked up by the Halos a few days later.

In his own words, he was upset about the DFA, to say the least.

"I don't know how you DFA a guy that's throwing 100 miles an hour from the left side," Burke said. "It was a little surprising. I thought I started showing a little bit of success, [throwing] a little better and throwing hard."

Burke learned first-hand how a minor adjustment can have major implications on one's career.

Upon his arrival to Anaheim, the pitching staff had the southpaw move eight inches on the rubber, closer to the first base side.

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“I threw one bullpen, and instantly it felt better,” the left-hander said. “I took it into a game the next day or two, and after that the rest is history.”

Burke's 2024 ERA in Texas was 9.22 in 13 games. His 21 appearances for the Halos saw a 3.54 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and just seven walks.

“You look at your mechanics and think it’s this or that,” Burke said. “Why is the ball going here? You start looking at the middle stuff, rather than going to the base, where I set everything up. To think it was something as simple as that.”

In spring training play so far, Burke is picking up where he left off in 2024. He has not allowed a run in his five innings pitched and added six strikeouts as well.

He and Ben Joyce will be the setup men for four-time All-Star Kenley Jansen, the newly-acquired closer for the Halos. Together, they could form a formidable backend of the bullpen in 2025.

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