Andy Burns


Andrew David Burns is an American professional baseball infielder in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He has played in Major League Baseball for the Blue Jays and in the KBO League for the Lotte Giants.

High school and college

Burns graduated from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2008. The Colorado Rockies selected him in the 25th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, but he opted to attend college. Burns enrolled at the University of Kentucky, and played college baseball for the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team. He was named the Southeastern Conference's freshman of the week for the week ending May 10, 2009. In 2010, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Burns transferred to the University of Arizona, where he intended to continue his collegiate career with the Arizona Wildcats baseball team. After sitting out a season due to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's rules on transferring between schools, the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 11th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft.

Professional career

Minor league career

Burns signed with the Blue Jays and made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays, before being promoted to the Vancouver Canadians of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League. In 2011, he played in 28 games and batted.250 with 3 home runs and 14 RBI. Burns played for the Lansing Lugnuts of the Class A Midwest League in 2012, appearing in 78 games and hitting.248 with 9 home runs and 37 RBI. Burns began the 2013 minor league season with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, and was promoted at midseason to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Double-A Eastern League. He played in 128 games split between the two teams, and hit.288 with a career-high 15 home runs, 85 RBI, and 33 stolen bases. After the 2013 season, the Blue Jays assigned Burns to the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, where he was named player of the week in the fourth week of the six-week schedule. He batted.312 with 13 RBI in 21 games for the Rafters.
The Blue Jays invited Burns to spring training as a non-roster invitee in 2014, but he did not make the team, returning to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats for the entire 2014 season. He would play in a career-high 133 games that season, batting.255 with 15 home runs, 63 RBI, and 18 stolen bases. In the offseason, he appeared in 12 games for the Bravos de Margarita of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, and hit.205 with 5 RBI. Burns began the 2015 season in New Hampshire, and earned a promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on April 17. He would play in 132 total games in 2015, batting.291 with 5 home runs and 46 RBI.
Burns was invited to Major League spring training on January 12, 2016. He was optioned to Triple-A at the end of spring training. At the time of his call-up to the Blue Jays in May, he was hitting.250 with 9 doubles, 2 home runs, and 10 RBI for the Bisons.

Toronto Blue Jays

On May 6, 2016, Burns was called up by the Blue Jays. He made his Major League debut on May 9, striking out in a pinch-hitting appearance against the San Francisco Giants. Burns was optioned back to Buffalo on May 17, and recalled by the Blue Jays on June 15, only to be returned on June 18. Burns was recalled by the Blue Jays on July 8, and optioned back to Triple-A on July 22. He was recalled once more on September 27, but did not appear in any additional games for the Blue Jays. Burns appeared in ten games for the Blue Jays in 2016, scoring two runs and going hitless in six at-bats. On December 2, Burns was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo after clearing waivers. He was released by the Blue Jays organization on January 5, 2017.

Lotte Giants

On January 8, 2017, Burns signed a one-year, $650,000 contract with the Lotte Giants. He became a free agent after the 2018 season.

Second stint with Toronto Blue Jays

On February 4, 2019, Burns signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.