Jake Burger's Hundred

The Comeback First

Jake Burger ruptured his left Achilles tendon in spring training of 2018. He re-tore it later that year. A bruised heel cost him more time in 2019. He did not appear in a competitive game again until a Missouri collegiate summer league in 2020. The White Sox had drafted him 11th overall out of Missouri State in 2017 and signed him for a $3.7 million bonus.

He debuted on July 2, 2021, starting at third base against Detroit, and got his first hit that day. In the batting cage, teammate Danny Mendick told him he must be glad he never quit. Burger had considered walking away — more than once — and reflected, as MLB.com reported, on the support from family, friends, and the organization that kept him going.

The Hundred

On June 13, 2026, Burger hit his 100th career home run, wearing a Texas Rangers uniform. He reached it in his sixth major-league season. The arc ran through three clubs: the White Sox from 2021 to 2023, the Marlins for two seasons — where he was named team MVP in 2024 — and the Rangers from 2025 on. He has 311 career RBI and a .246 batting average. He plays first base now.

Twenty-One

Burger and his wife Ashlyn have a son, Brooks, and a daughter, Penelope, born October 25, 2024, with Down syndrome. When he joined the Rangers, he switched to jersey number 21 to honor Penelope and represent trisomy 21. After Penelope underwent open-heart surgery, Burger returned to the team and homered in his first game back, wearing her hospital wristband. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young praised him for prioritizing family through the crisis and then contributing on the field immediately. Burger and Ashlyn have since founded the Burger Family Foundation to support families affected by disabilities, with plans for a ranch offering specialized services.

He is 30 years old, playing first base for Texas, with 109 home runs.

Reporting: MLB.com. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.