Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy made a bold claim on the newest addition, Jake Burger, before the 2025 MLB season. The organization acquired the 28-year-old over the offseason via a trade with the Miami Marlins. Bochy has been adamant about Burger being the starting first baseman for the team in 2025.
The St. Louis, Missouri native was a third-base prospect when the Chicago White Sox drafted him in 2017. However, Burger has gradually made the move to first base over time with both Chicago and Miami. Out of the 344 games he’s played in, Burger has appeared in 79 games in his newest position.
In a recent interview with Texas Rangers beat reporter Kennedi Landry, Bruce Bochy praised his new player’s progress and upside at first base.
“He’s (Jake Burger) attacking it. He’s aggressive on ground balls. He’s had a really good arm, that’s a pretty nice asset for a first baseman. A lot of them don’t have that arm. He’s got the hands, and it’s just about getting reps over there, being on the other side of the field.
He had quite a few last year, but to have all spring to spend time there, on different plays and angles and things like that, it’s only going to get better with him. He has, to me, the potential to be one of the best first basemen in the game.”
The Rangers are looking to rebound from an uneven 2024 season
Texas is trying to bounce back from a season in which they surprisingly had a sub-500 record and missed the playoffs. This result was especially disappointing because the Rangers had just won their first World Series title in 2023. Despite last season’s slide, Bruce Bochy seems very confident in his team’s current standing in the MLB hierarchy. Jake Burger probably has something to do with the Rangers’ positive outlook.
The first baseman is coming off the best season of his career with the Miami Marlins, where he hit a career-high 29 home runs and 76 RBIs. At 6’2, 230 lbs, Burgers adds some needed power to a Rangers lineup that was in the bottom half in home runs in 2024.
In addition to the Burger’s arrival, many of the core players on Texas’ World Series-winning roster are still on the roster and in their respective primes. That includes players like Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia, Marcus Sieman, and ace pitcher Nathan Eovaldi.
With two-time Cy Young winner Jacob DeGrom seemingly healthy, this is a dangerous group that has a massive chip on its shoulder. And with one of the greatest managers in baseball history leading the charge, it won’t be surprising if Texas once again shocks the baseball world like it did in 2023.
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