A. J. Burnett, American baseball player
Allan James Burnett (born January 3, 1977), is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Philadelphia Phillies for 17 seasons.
The New York Mets drafted Burnett in the eighth round of the 1995 MLB draft, out of Central Arkansas Christian School in North Little Rock, Arkansas, where he helped lead the team to back-to-back state championships. The Mets traded him to the Marlins, and Burnett made his MLB debut in 1999. He signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent, before the 2006 season, and with the Yankees before the 2009 season. The Yankees traded Burnett to the Pirates before the 2012 season. After two years in Pittsburgh, he signed with the Phillies, where he played one season, before rejoining the Pirates for his final season.Burnett recorded a no-hitter in a complete game shutout in 2001, despite walking 9 batters. He led the National League (NL) in shutouts in 2002, and the American League (AL) in strikeouts in 2008. Burnett was a member of the 2009 World Series champion Yankees. He was selected for the NL roster for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game.