Former Chicago White Sox first-round draft pick Jake Burger got some bad news from the Texas Rangers on Thursday.
The Rangers optioned Burger, who recently made the transition to first base full-time, to AAA-Round Rock and recalled first baseman Blane Crim. According to Ken Rosenthal, "the plan is for Burger to reset and return soon." But given his struggles in 2025, there's no telling when Burger is going to break out of his slump and get back to the big leagues.
Burger is hitting .186 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 97 at-bats this season. His .558 OPS is not going to cut it for a Rangers team that is loaded with offensive talent and hoping to make it back to the postseason this year.
Rangers have a crowded infield
With Corey Seager returning from the Injured List any day now, Texas is set to have a pretty crowded infield. They have Seager, Marcus Semien, Josh Jung, and Josh Smith. All of those players will be every day starters.
While Smith has positional versatility, Texas won't be taking away at-bats from Wyatt Langford or Adolis Garcia in the outfield. If Burger were to fight his way back up to the major league roster and earn every day at-bats, it would mean being a full-time DH or the Rangers moving Smith to centerfield...Not impossible, but he's going to have to earn that.
Crim could also be a threat to Burger if he has success following his call-up. In 590 career minor league games, Crim has 110 home runs. This season, he is hitting .313 with 7 home runs and a .930 OPS in AAA.
The Rangers traded for Burger this offseason
It's disappointing how quickly Burger seems to have fallen out of favor with the Rangers, especially considering that they traded three prospects to acquire him just a few months ago.
During the offseason, the Rangers got Burger in a deal with the Miami Marlins that sent prospects Echedry Vargas, Max Acosta, and Brayan Mendoza to the Marlins. All three players are currently ranked in Miami's Top 30 prospects list by MLB.com.
The Rangers deemed Burger valuable for a reason. After hitting 34 home runs with the White Sox and Marlins in 2023, Burger delivered more impressive power numbers with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs for Miami in 2024. He's a great teammate that elevates the energy of every room he walks into.
Adding a reliable power bat and clubhouse leader that you can count on for 25-35 homers would have been huge boost to Texas this year. I would have bet money that Burger would have lived up to those expectations. It seemed like he was in line for a long career of belting "Burger Bombs."
Perhaps this is just a minor set back for a major comeback. Slumps are a part of baseball and if anyone knows about adversity as a professional baseball player, it's Jake Burger. I know White Sox fans everywhere are rooting him on and wish him all the best.