Photo caption: Jake Burger (courtesy of MLB.com)
After hitting a walk-off grand slam against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, June 4, Chicago White Sox slugger Jake Burger is starting to make a name for himself on the south side of Chicago.
Burger delivered in Burger Time fashion for White Sox fans on Sunday in a series win over the Tigers.
Burger was considered one of the top prospects for the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. His bio states he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the first round and signed, and was assigned to the Arizona League White Sox. Burger was promoted to the Kannapolis Intimidators after four games. He finished 2017 with a .263 batting average, five home runs, and 29 RBIs in 51 games between both clubs.
Burger was invited to 2018 spring training by the White Sox. On February 26, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg, and was ruled out for the entire 2018 season on February 27. In 2019, he missed time during the season due to a bruised heel.
In 2020, Burger participated in the CarShield Collegiate league, a collegiate summer league in O’Fallon, Missouri. There was no minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was his first time playing competitive baseball since 2017. When the summer league ended, Burger was invited to the White Sox alternate training site.
In June 2021, Burger was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game. On July 2, after hitting .322 in Charlotte, Burger was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut that day as the starting third baseman against the Detroit Tigers. In the game, he also notched his first career hit, a double off Tigers reliever Erasmo Ramírez. On July 17, Burger hit his first career home run, a two-run shot off of Houston Astros pitcher Austin Pruitt.
In 2022, Burger was added to the White Sox Opening Day roster and played third base for Yoán Moncada who was injured. Burger played in 21 games with a .239 average, hitting two home runs and seven RBIs before he was sent back to Triple-A on May 9 when Moncada was activated.
Burger began the 2023 season with Charlotte. The White Sox promoted him to the major leagues on April 5 when Eloy Jiménez went on the injured list. With Moncada seeing regular playing time at third base and Jiménez being used as the main designated hitter, Burger began getting reps at second base, according to his bio.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
