One of the top picks from last month's draft has immediately put his slugging potential on display in the minors.
Athletics outfield prospect Drew Burress launched his third home run in the fifth game of his professional career on Sunday. The 21-year-old got an 0-2 hanging breaking ball and crushed it over the left-field wall for a solo shot in the Stockton Ports' 14-7 victory over the San Jose Giants, the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants .
Burress was the No. 8 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech. The young outfielder became Georgia Tech's all-time leader in home runs after hitting 60 long balls in three seasons for the Yellow Jackets. And while it's still very early in the first-round pick's minor league journey, the power he showcased in college has seemingly translated well to his first few Single-A games.
May 31, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Georgia Tech Yellowjackets outfielder Drew Burress (8) fields the ball during the first inning against the Murray State Racers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Through the first five games of his minor league career, Burress is 4-for-21 at the plate with three home runs, six RBIs, and five runs scored. His first three hits in Single-A were all homers, and his only other hit was a double on Sunday. So, the young outfielder's first four hits since being drafted have all gone for extra bases.
Earlier this year, Burress had a .358 batting average, a .473 on-base percentage, and a 1.130 OPS with 16 homers, 60 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 61 games for Georgia Tech. He finished his collegiate career hitting .357 with 60 home runs and 189 RBIs in 179 games for the Yellow Jackets. Those numbers undoubtedly played a big role in the A's deciding to draft the 21-year-old with the eighth overall pick.
But Burress wasn't the only Georgia Tech player who heard his name called early in this year's draft. The Minnesota Twins selected Vahn Lackey at No. 3 and reportedly gave the former Yellow Jackets catcher a $9,497,500 signing bonus . The new Twins prospect has started his minor league career with the Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and is 6-for-27 at the plate through his first eight games.
For A's fans, though, it'll be interesting to see how Burress performs in his first taste of minor league action to finish the 2026 season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/minor-league-baseball as A's First-Round Pick Drew Burress Already Showing Prodigious Power in Single-A .
