Ryan Burr Bio
Ryan Matthew Burr (born May 28, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
Early Life and Background
Ryan Matthew Burr was born on May 28, 1994, and grew up in the United States, where he developed an early interest in baseball. He attended Highlands Ranch High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, where he played for the school team and emerged as a promising relief pitcher. His performance in high school drew the attention of Major League Baseball scouts before he had finished his secondary education.
During his senior year at Highlands Ranch, the Texas Rangers selected Burr in the 33rd round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. Rather than begin a professional career at that stage, Burr chose to continue his development in college. He enrolled at Arizona State University, where he played college baseball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. Over the course of his three seasons in Tempe, Burr became one of the program’s most reliable closers, finishing his career with a school record 38 saves.
Path to Professional Baseball
After his junior year at Arizona State, Burr entered the 2015 MLB draft and was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth round. The selection marked his transition from the amateur ranks to professional baseball, and the Diamondbacks quickly assigned him to their minor league system. Burr made his professional debut that summer with the Hillsboro Hops of the short-season Northwest League and finished the year with the Kane County Cougars of the Midwest League.
Between Hillsboro and Kane County, Burr posted a combined 4–1 record and a 1.06 earned run average across 34 innings pitched, an impressive opening to his professional career. He returned to Kane County in 2016 and worked through a season interrupted by injuries, posting a 1–2 record and 3.86 ERA in 23 innings. Burr began 2017 back with Kane County before earning a midseason promotion to the Visalia Rawhide of the California League, continuing his steady rise through the Arizona farm system.
Ryan Burr Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Following his draft selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Burr spent his first professional season splitting time between the Hillsboro Hops and the Kane County Cougars. His 1.06 ERA across both stops demonstrated the command and swing-and-miss traits that had made him a celebrated closer at Arizona State. In 2016, a limited workload with Kane County produced a 3.86 ERA, but Burr returned healthy in 2017 and moved up to the Visalia Rawhide after a strong opening stretch.
On August 11, 2017, the Chicago White Sox acquired Burr from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for international signing bonus pool money, and the right-hander was assigned to the Winston-Salem Dash. Across Kane County, Visalia, and Winston-Salem that year, Burr worked 65 and one-third innings and posted a 2–2 record with a 1.65 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, signaling that he was approaching readiness for the major leagues.
Chicago White Sox (2018–2022)
Burr began 2018 with the Double-A Birmingham Barons and earned a promotion to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in late July, appearing in seven games out of the bullpen and posting a 1.08 ERA across eight and one-third innings. The Chicago White Sox promoted him to the major leagues on August 22, 2018, and he made his MLB debut on August 24 out of the bullpen. In that first appearance, Burr retired all four batters he faced and struck out two during the team’s 7–2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
In June 2019, Burr underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his 2019 season and causing him to miss a sizable portion of the 2020 campaign. The White Sox non-tendered him on December 2, 2019, making him a free agent, before re-signing him to a minor league deal the following day. The cancellation of the minor league season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic kept him off the mound that year. After another minor league agreement, Burr was selected to the active roster on May 27, 2021, and turned in a 2.45 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 34 appearances spanning 36 and two-thirds innings. The following year, he posted a 6.00 ERA across eight appearances before Chicago released him on June 13, 2022.
Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies (2022–2023)
On August 30, 2022, Burr signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays organization and was assigned to the Triple-A Durham Bulls. Across the ensuing season with Durham, he recorded a 3.09 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 23 and one-third innings. Following the season, Burr elected free agency on November 6, 2023, and shortly afterward signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on December 12, 2023. In 15 appearances for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Burr logged a 2.16 ERA with 29 strikeouts across 16 and two-thirds innings, putting himself back in position for another major league opportunity.
Toronto Blue Jays (2024–2025)
On May 30, 2024, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Burr from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for cash considerations, and his contract was selected the following day. In 34 appearances that included four starts, he compiled an 0–2 record and a 4.13 ERA with 47 strikeouts across 32 and two-thirds innings for Toronto.
Burr began the 2025 campaign on the injured list because of right shoulder fatigue and was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 27, 2025. The Blue Jays activated him for his season debut on July 6, and he produced two scoreless appearances, recording one win and three strikeouts over two innings. On July 11, Burr was placed on the 60-day injured list with a right rotator cuff strain. One week later, on July 18, it was announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery to address a capsule injury in his throwing shoulder, ending his 2025 campaign.
Ryan Burr Career Wins
Across his time in Major League Baseball, Ryan Matthew Burr has compiled a 5–5 win-loss record, a 4.02 earned run average, and 116 strikeouts through the 2025 season, the verified totals from his major league service with the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. His most recent major league win came during his brief 2025 return from the injured list, when he recorded a scoreless appearance for the Blue Jays.
Major League Highlights
Burr’s first major league victory came during his 2021 season with the Chicago White Sox, when he registered a 2.45 ERA with 33 strikeouts across 34 appearances and 36 and two-thirds innings. After time in the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies systems, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in May 2024 and went on to make 34 appearances for Toronto that year. His most recent major league win came in July 2025, just before a season-ending shoulder capsule procedure was announced on July 18, 2025.
Other Wins and Performances
Burr opened his professional career by going 4–1 with a 1.06 ERA between the Hillsboro Hops and Kane County Cougars in 2015. He also set the Arizona State Sun Devils’ all-time saves record with 38 during his three-year college career, a mark that underscored his closing role and durability before he entered the draft.
Ryan Burr Family
Personal Life
Ryan Matthew Burr was born on May 28, 1994, in the United States. Public details about his parents, spouse, children, and current residence are not clearly supported by available sources, so those details are not included in this biography.
2025 Season Performance
Ryan Matthew Burr’s 2025 season with the Toronto Blue Jays was defined by right shoulder issues from the start. He opened the year on the injured list because of right shoulder fatigue and was later transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 27, 2025, keeping him on the sidelines for the opening months of the campaign. The Blue Jays activated him for his season debut on July 6, 2025, and he rewarded the move with two scoreless appearances that produced one win and three strikeouts over two innings of work.
That promising return proved short-lived, as Burr was placed directly on the 60-day injured list on July 11 with a right rotator cuff strain. One week later, on July 18, the Blue Jays announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery to address a capsule injury in his throwing shoulder, bringing his 2025 campaign to a close. Through the 2025 season, his major league totals stand at a 5–5 record, a 4.02 ERA, and 116 strikeouts across his stints with the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.