Chicago White Sox: 3 reasons to call up Jake Burger

High expectations fell upon young Jake Burger when he was selected 11th overall in the 2017 draft. Unfortunately, his path to the show was stalled after two Achilles heel injuries. Fortunately, Burger has not skipped a beat and is tearing it up. It is not unrealistic to say he can help this 2021 Chicago White Sox team win.

Jake Burger might force the Chicago White Sox to call him up before 2021 is over.

After being out of baseball for three years, Burger has returned better than ever. In just 15 games with the Charlotte Knights this season, he contributes in the parts of the game where the White Sox are struggling. Not to mention he will add much-needed depth to an injury-bug-bitten team that keeps getting bit.

Realistically it may be too early to call up Burger, even though he was being considered as a potential DH candidate in Spring Training. Not to mention Andrew Vaughn, a prospect with little to no minor league experience, is the current everyday left fielder. This front office has trust in the top prospects and so far, they have no reason not to.

The story of Jake Burger is building into a motivational comeback journey. It shows that he has worked hard to come back and contribute at a high level. Considering where this current White Sox team is in terms of depth, he will likely get the call-up, potentially this year. Although it may not be in June or July, he could be a September call-up even. Here are three reasons to call up Jake Burger:

Jake Burger of the Chicago White Sox has put up a great slash line in AAA.

For a player who has been out of baseball since 2017, a slow start is what to expect. They have not faced any type of professional pitching since then and might have a hard time readjusting. Not Jake Burger, though.

In the 2021 spring training, Burger was 4-13 in seven games. With only one double and RBI, he did not perform well enough to make the team. He would have had to put up Hall of Fame type numbers to have made the team out of spring, so it was expected he would start his season as a Charlotte Knight. What was not expected was how quickly he would get to work.

In his first 15 games back in baseball and 62 at-bats, Burger is slashing .274/.318/.661 with an OPS of .979. He has 15 runs batted in while scoring 11 times himself. His six doubles and six home runs make up more than half of his 17 hits, as seen in his .661 slugging percentage.

Defensively, he has been surprisingly well for someone recovering from two Achilles injuries. In 118 innings of work at third base, Burger has 26 assists and ten putouts with only four errors. In his 40 defensive chances, he has a fielding percentage of .900. Not great, but still pretty good.

Of course, his value is in his bat right now and he is swinging a hot one. With 17 strikeouts, however, plate discipline is something he will have to work on before getting promoted. This could be overlooked, considering he is also hitting well situationally and driving in runs.

Jake Burger can definitely help the Chicago White Sox with runners in scoring position.

Against the Yankees and Cardinals, it has been clear that this team is struggling to hit when runners are in scoring position or on base for that matter. In just those six games, the White Sox have been 5-43 with runners in scoring position. That is an average of .116.

In 19 at-bats with runners in scoring position, Jake Burger has seven hits, a double, and two home runs with 10 RBIs. He has also scored six times, which shows that his hitting is contagious. Of those 19 at-bats, nine have come with two outs. He has three hits in those nine at-bats, two of which are doubles.

He is not only driving in runs but extending innings. His teammates then have opportunities to drive him in as well. The White Sox have been struggling this season in keeping the line moving and turning the lineup over.

While his current OPS of .993 is tremendous, his 1.137 OPS with runners in scoring position is one this current Sox team could use. A team will have a hard time winning if they cannot deliver in high leverage situations like capitalizing when runners are in scoring position. Injuries have taken out two of the team’s most significant offensive contributors, so other players need to step up.

Some have stepped up but as of late, this team is falling behind offensively. If Burger continues to come through in the clutch, there is no doubt that he deserves a call-up.