AUBURN | Tanner Burns can check another box off his impressive list of accomplishments.

The former high school and college All-American was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the Competitive Balance portion of the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft with the No. 36 overall pick, which has a slot value of $2,045,400. He’s Auburn’s ninth first round pick and the third in the last five years.

“Tanner — whoever drafts him is going to be getting a stud,” said Auburn pitching coach Tim Hudson Monday, who pitched in the majors for 17 seasons. “He’s so strong in so many areas. Such a hard worker. He’s a sponge. He wants to always soak up knowledge of the game and pick your brain. You know, he talked to me earlier in the spring about what he needed to do to have a long career in the big leagues. And it wasn’t to get to the big leagues, it was, ‘How do I pitch 10, 15, 17 years?’ That’s where his mind is.”

In his three seasons at Auburn, Burns was 14-9 with a 2.86 ERA, 210 strikeouts and 67 walks in 188.2 innings. Burns jumped into the weekend starting rotation immediately as a freshman in 2018 going 7-4 with a 3.01 ERA. He was 4-4 with a 2.82 ERA as a sophomore, matching the school record with 15 strikeouts against Cincinnati and helping the Tigers to the 2019 College World Series.

Burns was 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA before his junior season came to a premature end March 12 due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Burns joins Gregg Olson (1988), Frank Thomas (1989), Bryan Hebson (1997), Chris Bootcheck (2000), Gabe Gross (2001), Josh Donaldson (2007), Anfernee Grier (2016) and Casey Mize (2018) as Auburn’s first round selections. Three — Grier, Mize and Burns — were selected under sixth-year head coach Butch Thompson. Mize was the first Auburn player to be taken No. 1 overall.

“He’s a guy that is not done yet. I still think he’s a developing pitcher,” said Thompson of Burns. “I thought Casey Mize was kind of a finished product for what we could do for him at the time and he was the first pick overall a couple of years ago. Tanner, I think, is a first rounder that’s still has a high ceiling and to me that’s exciting. The first thing I think about is they’re getting a guy that’s always been good, always been highly thought of, that’s represented our country, that’s done it in the SEC, that’s worked up to becoming a Friday night guy, that still has to pick a breaking ball. He still has to pick a breaking ball.

“He’s always had a survivable, competitive fastball, and I think his off-speed, his pitch usage, all those things still have room to grow and will grow.”

Thompson also pointed out that the Indians are getting a player that possesses a lot positive intangibles in Burns.

“He’s about as competitive a young man I’ve ever been around,” Thompson said. “He’s one of the best teammates. He cares about everybody around him and he’s as loyal as the day is long. I appreciate and respect everyone of those qualities about Tanner. He’s one of those, that man, I’m just going to hate to see him go.”

Burns was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 37th round of the 2017 MLB coming out of Decatur (Ala.) High School. He was the 2017 National Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball, Alabama Mr. Baseball and the Gatorade Player of the Year as a standout pitcher and hitter for Decatur.

The 2020 MLB draft continues with rounds 2-5 Thursday at 4 p.m. CT on MLB Network and ESPN.