Position: 3B
Born: 4/10/1996
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 210 lb B-T: R-R
Acquired: Selected No. 11 overall in 2017 draft out of Missouri State
Career Stats
FutureSox Prospect Rankings
- #12 – 2017 Midseason
- #8 – 2018 Preseason
- #14 – 2018 Midseason
- #14 – 2019 Preseason
- #23 – 2019 Midseason
- #29 – 2020 Preseason
- #19 – 2020 Midseason
- #16 – 2021 Preseason
FutureSox Media
- Draft-Day write-up, June 2017
- Two years post injury, Jake Burger is in the best shape of his career, Aug. 2020
- All FutureSox articles tagged Jake Burger
Accolades
Scouting Report
Burger sported some of the most palpable power in the entire 2017 draft class, which was alluring enough for the White Sox to grab him No. 11 overall. Burger slashed .328/.443/.648 (1.091 OPS) his junior year and notably walked more than he struck out (43/38 BB/K). He quickly signed for a slot-value deal of $3.7 million and after a brief tune up in the AZL got the nod at Low-A Kannapolis. In a small sample with the Intimidators, Burger demonstrated his illustrious eye and the power played early but did fade a bit near the end, finishing with a .744 OPS.
Burger tore his Achilles’ tendon in spring training of 2018. He then re-tore it in early May of the same year. He was set to return in the middle of 2019, but a bruised heel, which is often related to Achilles’ injury recovery, kept him out.
He was finally set to return in 2020 when the pandemic hit. Burger returned to the field in a collegiate league near St. Louis that had some minor leaguers mixed in looking to get some game action during the pandemic. He later joined White Sox camp in the team’s alternate site in Schaumburg.
With solid but not elite bat speed, his strength is a key ingredient to his over-the-fence pop. He’s able to get the barrel through the zone by way of a low-maintenance swing, and while the mechanics aren’t textbook, it’s not a noisy approach. The one mechanical knock noted by a variety of pundits is an arm bar in his swing that may give him hiccups on the inner half. His ability to catch up to inside velocity without getting jammed will be something to watch as he moves up the pro ball ladder.
On paper, the mechanical flaws are outweighed by the low swing-and-miss tendencies that make him a safer play than most power hitters. Where Burger’s profile is iffy is on the defensive end, where he doesn’t exactly overwhelm. Even pre-injury he wasn’t elegant at the hot corner, but he did win MVC defensive player of the year honors.
The lost seasons due to injuries threw his ascendancy into doubt, though the raw tools should all remain.
Major League Outlook: Starting third baseman with dynamic power/average profile
ETA: 2022