It’s been a tough season for the Miami Marlins. One of the issues has been 3B Jake Burger. I already wrote about another struggling hitter: RF Jesus Sanchez. As The Fish’s division rivals are getting stronger, it’s definitely important for the team to have a strong core going forward. This brings the question of what is actually wrong with Jake?
Jake Burger is not doing good this season.
Jake Burger broke out on the scene last season with the Chicago White Sox. The late-bloomer batted .214/.279/.527, with 25 home runs and 52 RBI in just 88 games and 294 AB. The contact and OBP were an issue. He also only had 63 hits, but 102 strikeouts. That said, the power was truly impressive. 25 home runs in just 294 AB is beyond words in how good that is.
Prior to that 2023 season, he was a career .252/.308/.461 hitter over two seasons with Chicago in 2021 and 2022. He played in only 66 games and received just 206 AB for that time.
The Miami Marlins acquired Jake from Chicago at last season’s Trade Deadline. He rewarded the team by batting .303/.355/.505, with 9 home runs and 28 RBI in 53 games and 198 AB. He was phenomenal and there was a lot of hype for what he could do to follow up this season. So far he’s batted an abysmal .167/.207/.278, with 3 home runs and 16 RBI in 29 games and 108 AB.
What’s the issue? He doesn’t seem to be injured. One obvious culprit is the far below average .185 BABIP. His career mark is .282, so once it normalizes, his production should as well. The EV is a bit more alarming, as it went down to 89.8, after reaching 91.9 last season. His career mark is also a much better 91.5.
Looking deeper, Burger is hitting more ground balls: 53.6%, while his career mark is 44.5%. I feel that once he starts hitting the ball better, more hits will be achieved. I also expect his BABIP to go up as well, producing more homers and increasing his batting average. Jake Burger surely has a hot streak in him.
