Nick Burdi

Amateur career

Burdi attended Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove, Illinois, where he played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher, and for the American football team as a quarterback. Before his senior year, Burdi quit the football team to focus on baseball. Burdi, as a child and teen also played for the Downers Grove Longshots. He was able to throw his fastball as fast as 95 miles per hour (153 km/h) as a high school student.

Burdi participated in the Area Code Games in the summer of 2010, attracting the attention of scouts, including Keith Law of ESPN.com. After his senior season, Burdi expected to be chosen between the third to fifth rounds of the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. However, he lasted in the draft until the 24th round, when he was selected by the Minnesota Twins, with the 748th overall pick. No team was willing to offer Burdi the signing bonus that would convince him to sign, rather than attend college. He did not sign with the Twins.

Burdi enrolled at the University of Louisville, to play college baseball for the Louisville Cardinals baseball team. By his sophomore year, Burdi could reach 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) with his fastball. Pitching as the Cardinals' closer, Burdi has an 0.78 earned run average (ERA) and 61 strikeouts in  34 ²⁄₃ innings pitched through his sophomore year. After his sophomore year, he joined the United States national collegiate baseball team. As a junior, Burdi had a 0.49 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 37 innings.

Professional career

Burdi was considered a top prospect in the 2014 MLB Draft. The Minnesota Twins selected Burdi in the second round, with the 46th overall selection of the draft. He signed with the Twins on June 25, receiving a $1,218,800 signing bonus, and reported to the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Class A Midwest League. He posted a 4.15 ERA in 13 innings, and the Twins promoted him to the Fort Myers Miracle of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League in August. Burdi opened the 2015 season with the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Class AA Southern League. He struggled with a 5.93 ERA, and was demoted to Fort Myers in late June. After spending six weeks with Fort Myers, the Twins promoted Burdi back to Chattanooga, where he finished the season with a 1.77 ERA in  20 ¹⁄₃ innings. The Twins assigned him to the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League after the regular season.

Burdi began the 2017 season with Chattanooga. He required Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in May 2017.

Personal life

Burdi's older brother, Drew, was an All-State quarterback who played football for Downers Grove South and Western Michigan. His younger brother, Zack, is also a professional baseball pitcher who played college baseball at Louisville.