The Athletics stayed on the college track with the eighth overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft, taking Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress.
Burress brings real thump to the table. Over three seasons in college, the right-handed hitter posted a .357/.484/.720 slash line with 60 home runs in 179 games. He also showed a polished eye, drawing 160 walks against 122 strikeouts, a strong indicator of how advanced his bat is.
At 5-foot-9, Burress is not the biggest player on the board, but he has plenty going for him. Some scouts think his above-average speed could keep him in center field, while others expect him to eventually move to a corner spot, where his plus-plus arm would fit nicely and give him Gold-Glove caliber potential on the grass. With rookie Henry Bolte looking like the long-term answer in center, the A’s can give Burress a chance up the middle before shifting him if needed as he gets closer to the majors.
MLB Pipeline gave him an overall grade of 60, with a 55 hit tool, 60 power, 55 run, 60 arm and 55 field. Their report also noted that scouts liked Burress’ tools and makeup back when he was in Georgia high school, but he told teams he would go to Georgia Tech unless someone took him in the first round of the 2023 Draft. He went undrafted, then announced himself in college by homering nine times in his first eight games and eventually setting a school record with 60 blasts.
Pipeline described him as a player with solid or better tools across the board, a compact and quick right-handed swing, plenty of strength and a disciplined approach. It also noted that his stance got very open and caused some trouble during a second run with the U.S. collegiate national team last summer, though he corrected things after a slow start this spring.
Burress’ athleticism and baseball IQ also stood out in the scouting report. He can swipe an occasional bag, cover ground in center field and, if he ends up in right field, his bat and arm should still profile well there. He set a Yellow Jackets record with 10 outfield assists in 2024.
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