South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 53: Jacob Burke

Jacob Burke

Center Fielder
6´1´´
208 pounds
Age: 22
2022 High Level Kannapolis (Low-A)
Age relative to high level +0.3 years
SSS rank among all center fielders in the system 4
Overall 2022 season stats 27 games ⚾️ 2 HR ⚾️ 14 RBI ⚾️ .281/.395/.438 ⚾️ 4-of-6 (66.7%) SB ⚾️ 9 BB ⚾️ 24 K

With pick No. 341 in the 2022 MLB draft, the White Sox added center fielder Jacob Burke from the University of Miami.

Burke was a fourth-year junior. The center fielder transferred from Southeast Louisiana to Miami for his junior year, and he had a phenomenal one with the Hurricanes. The righthander slashed .347/.425/.599 for a 1.024 OPS, while mostly holding down center (with some time in the corners as well) for a top college program.

For his efforts, he was named the program’s Rookie of the Year.

In a small sample of games during his pro debut last summer, Burke impressed. Playing older than rookie level, he tore up the ACL, then settled in to finish the season with Kannapolis, at league-average age. He was as advertised — which, frankly, was a steal of a skill set in Round 11.

The Baseball Cube tends to agree:

Burke’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Speed 80
Durability 80
Power 78
RBIs 76
Hitting 74
XBH 71
Contact 62
Runs 61
Team Winning Percentage .528

Age would dictate Burke start 2023 in Winston-Salem, and it’s a safe bet that’s exactly where he begins. Project Birmingham II or no, it’s safe to say Burke has the Barons in his sights before the year is out.

2023 South Side Sox Top 102 White Sox Prospects

53. Jacob Burke, CF
54. Moisés Castillo, SS
55. Victor Quezada, 3B
56. Edgar Navarro, RHRP
57. Craig Dedelow, RF
58. Darío Borrero, 1B
59. Michael Turner, C
60. Tyler Osik, 1B
61. Haylen Green, LHRP
62. Mark McLaughlin, RHRP
63. Terrell Tatum, LF
64. Shawn Goosenberg, 2B
65. Randel Mondesí, LF
66. Emerson Talavera, RHRP
67. Declan Cronin, RHRP
68. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
69. Colby Smelley, C
70. Ethan Hammerberg, RHRP
71. Lincoln Henzman, RHRP
72. Vince Vannelle, RHRP
73. Brooks Baldwin, 3B-2B
74. James Beard, CF
75. Gabriel Rodríguez, RHSP
76. Ronny Hernandez, C
77. Troy Claunch, C
78. Brooks Gosswein, LHSP
79. Tim Elko, 1B
80. Yoelvín Silven, RHRP
81. Trey Jeans, LHRP
82. Jerry Burke, RHSP
83. Carlos Jiménez, 1B
84. Mason Adams, RHSP
85. Frankeli Arias, LHSP
86. Ernesto Jaquez, RHSP
87. Laz Rivera, 3B
88. Xavier Fernández, C
89. Álvaro Agüero, CF
90. Ben Norman, RF
91. Erick Bello, RHRP
92. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
93. Arnold Prado, RF
94. Alsander Womack, 2B
95. Johan Domínguez, RHSP
96. Evan Skoug, C
97. Noah Owen, RHSP
98. Javier Mora, 2B
99. Will Kincanon, RHRP
100. Yohemy Nolasco, RHSP
101. Billy Seidl, RHRP
102. José Rodulfo, RHRP