MLB Draft 2017: White Sox select Jake Burger with 11th overall pick

With the 11th overall pick in the draft, the White Sox have selected Jake Burger from Missouri State. In mock drafts, Burger was projected to go 17th by ESPN, 15th by MLB.com, and 24th by Baseball America.

Burger is one of the hottest bats in this year’s draft class, but he’s much more than a guy to fill a team’s designated hitter void. A corner infielder, Burger can flash as much leather as he can wood and would be a smart pick for a team like the Royals that have a mix bag of veteran and rookie infielders. It’s also worth noting that Burger is ridiculously dominant against left handed pitchers. The 6-foot-2, 220lbs third baseman is not short on power, sending 22 balls yard in his junior year.

While speed on the bases isn’t Burger’s strong suit, it’s also not a strong suit of half of the MLB. If you want to characterize his average running abilities as a weakness you may do so, but that looks to be his only downside. However, his bat is reliable and he stands a good chance of having an accelerated path to the majors.

Here’s some of his handiwork at the plate:

For more on Burger, check out Chris Cotillo’s Q&A with him here.