Jake Burger isn’t the first name most people associate with defense, but for the Rangers, his work at first base is becoming impossible to ignore.
The usual image of Burger is easy enough to understand: power at the plate, more strikeouts than you’d like, and the kind of streaky production that seems to travel with whatever facial hair he’s wearing. Defense, though, has never been the headline. He came up as a third baseman, and concerns about his glove pushed him across the diamond to first.
That move has paid off in a big way for Texas this season. Burger has been a steadying presence at the cold corner, and one particular skill is driving that value.
He’s tied for third in the majors with three outs above average on first-base receiving, a stat that tracks how well a first baseman handles all kinds of throws - high ones, low ones, wide ones, scoops, and everything in between - and turns them into outs. His average expected out rate of 95.8% is tied for first.
That showed up clearly in the first two games of the series against the Blue Jays. Toronto’s infield had a rough time throwing the ball, with three errors on Friday and another on Saturday, and Texas took advantage of several of those mistakes to score runs. It wasn’t exactly al Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s fault, but Burger’s ability to handle the chaos around first base mattered.
And that’s where the real value lives. Catching bad throws is important, sure, but the impact goes beyond the obvious plays. When a first baseman can dig balls out of the dirt and keep his foot on the bag, it changes the way the entire infield operates.
Six-time All-Star Joey Votto laid out that case in a tweet storm that touched on a lot of different angles, but the core of it is simple. He pointed to the speed of the game and the fact that an average baserunner is getting down the line in four to four and a half seconds.
That leaves very little room for hesitation. If infielders don’t trust the guy at first to handle a rough throw, they start rushing, thinking about the release before they’ve even finished fielding the ball.
That’s when mistakes pile up. Bobbles, rushed throws, and lost outs start creeping in.
Votto’s other point is just as important: when infielders believe first base is covered by a reliable receiver, they can be more aggressive. Diving stops, off-balance throws, jump throws - all of it gets made with more confidence because they know an off-target throw still has a chance to be turned into an out.
Over those two games against Toronto, Burger made several strong picks that a lesser first baseman might have failed to secure. If you pay attention to how Texas handles the handoff from glove to throw, the confidence is obvious. The infielders trust that once the ball is fired over there, Burger will come up with it and stay on the bag.
That trust matters. Evan Carter, Nicky Lopez, and Ezequiel Duran may have the louder reputations as defenders, but Burger deserves real credit too.
He’s not just holding his own at first base. He’s helping make the rest of the Rangers’ defense better.
In Other News...
Rangers Rotation Just Took A Brutal Hit At The Worst Time
The Rangers rotation depth took another hard punch late in the season when they placed Cal Quantrill on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain. The move makes him unavailable for the final week of the regular season and the AL wild-card playoffs, a rough development for a club already trying to steady itself heading into October.
Winston Santos was called up from Triple-A to help cover the bullpen in Quantrills absence, but the bigger concern is what this means for Texas if it manages to keep playing. Quantrill could still be eligible for the AL Division Series if he recovers in time and the Rangers advance, leaving the team to hope this latest setback is only temporary. [Read more 🡒]
MacKenzie Gores Next Rangers Start Just Raised A Bigger Rotation Question
MacKenzie Gore is set to take the ball Tuesday night against the Mets in the opener of the series, and with it comes a little more clarity for a Rangers rotation that has spent enough time in flux to make every turn feel meaningful. The left-hander will be making his 33rd start of the season, the most by a Rangers pitcher since 2019, a reminder of how much the club has leaned on him while trying to navigate the stretch run.
For now, Texas is keeping the rotation order intact, but the bigger picture still hangs on the roles of Nathan Eovaldi and Cal Quantrill. Whether those two stay in place or force a reshuffle will shape how the Rangers line up beyond this week, which makes Gores next outing about more than just one start. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Face A High-Stakes Rotation Call With The Division On Line
With six games left and a one-game edge over the Astros, the Rangers are in the part of the season where every pitching decision feels heavier than it should. The final rotation plan has to account for rest, injuries and the chance to lock up a playoff berth before the regular season ends, which makes even a routine turn through the staff a little more complicated than usual.
MacKenzie Gore is lined up to start, while Tyler Alexander could be used as an opener, giving Texas a mix-and-match approach as it tries to protect arms and stay positioned for the finish. If the division gets clinched early, the calculus changes again, and the Rangers could adjust on the fly with the postseason ahead and the margin for error already gone. [Read more 🡒]