Milwaukee Brewers select Tennessee first baseman Blake Burke in 2024 MLB Draft

The Milwaukee Brewers have selected Tennessee first baseman Blake Burke with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Burke spent three seasons with the Volunteers.

In the 2024 campaign, Burke started in all 72 of his appearances. He finished the season with a career-high .379 batting average, 20 home runs and 61 RBIs. Additionally, Burke boasted a .449 on-base percentage and a .702 slugging percentage.

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Burke was a standout in the postseason. In Tennessee’s five-game run to the SEC Tournament title, Burke was 9-for-17 from the plate, scoring four runs and walking six times. For his efforts, he was named the 2024 SEC Tournament MVP.

Burke didn’t stop there. In the NCAA Tournament, Burke tallied 21 hits, including three home runs, to drive in 10 runs. Boosted by Burke’s excellent play, Tennessee secured its first national championship in program history.

Burke was named an All-SEC Second Team member, All-SEC Defensive Team member and NCBWA First-Team All-American. It wasn’t the first time Burke earned hardware for his excellence. After his debut campaign, he was named an SEC All-Freshman Team member and 2022 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American.

During his three seasons at Tennessee, Burke amassed 182 appearances, notching a .332 batting average, 50 home runs and 136 RBIs. In the field, Burke collected 935 putouts and a .938 fielding percentage.

Blake Burke played high school baseball at De La Salle High School (CA), where he was the No. 390 overall prospect and No. 11 first baseman in the 2021 recruiting cycle, according to Perfect Game.

What are MLB Draft experts saying about Blake Burke?

While Burke is still not a perfect prospect, MLB experts are confident Burke can find success at the next level.

“Burke has an impressive combination of bat speed and strength and leverage in his 6-foot-3, 236-pound frame, which generate plus-plus raw power and consistently high exit velocities,” MLB.com wrote. “His left-handed pop plays to all parts of the ballpark, and he has grown to realize that he can hit home runs without swinging for the fences. After striking out in 31 percent of his plate appearances as a freshman, he has increased his contact rates by becoming less pull-happy, though he’s still prone to chasing pitches out of the strike zone.

“While Burke has become more reliable at first base, he’s still a below-average defender with limited range. With well-below-average speed and subpar arm strength, he has no other defensive options. Despite his lack of quickness, he’s an opportunistic basestealer who will take advantage if opponents forget about him.”