​With the eighth pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Oakland Athletics selected Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress. Burress hails from Warner Robins, Georgia, where he attended Houston County High School. In high school, he earned a string of prestigious honors: during his time at Houston County, the school won two state championships, he was named the 2022 Georgia Player of the Year by Prep Baseball Report, tied the prep state record with 73 RBIs in a season, and was selected to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic. Upon graduation, Burress was rated the top outfield recruit in Georgia and the fourth-best outfielder in the nation.
Burress’ college career kept the momentum going. As a freshman at Georgia Tech, he racked up eye-popping numbers and awards. He hit .381/.512/.821 with 25 home runs and 67 RBIs, a performance that broke the Georgia Tech freshman home-run record. He also showcased his defensive prowess with 10 outfield assists that year. Following the 2024 season, Burress earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors and was named a Freshman All-American, a First-Team All-American, Freshman Hitter of the Year, and Freshman of the Year by various publications.
His offensive numbers dipped somewhat in his sophomore and junior seasons, though he remained a formidable presence at the plate. In his second year at Tech, he slashed .333/.469/.693 with 19 homers and 62 RBIs. His junior year saw him hit .358/.473/.657 with 16 homers and 60 RBIs. Even with the downturn, those two seasons added up to more than 120 RBIs, underscoring Burress’ consistent run production across his college tenure. His ability to drive in runs remains a defining feature of his game.
What fans notice first about Burress is his production. He’s a potent offensive force, a player whose numbers stand out even when seen in person. Physically, he’s listed at 5-foot-9 and about 185 pounds, which some might consider undersized for a typical power hitter. Yet his career OPS has never dipped below 1.100, and he even set a Georgia Tech career home-run record with 60 over three seasons, surpassing the 58 HRs Jason Varitek accumulated in four years. Burress’ bat is the focal point of his scouting profile, and it’s easy to see why he’s viewed as an offensive engine in the lineup.
A key element of his success is his ability to handle fastballs. Burress has shown a knack for waiting on and driving fast pitches, using a powerful hip rotation to drive the ball to the gaps and beyond. He can, however, stand to improve against sharper curveballs and other off-speed offerings that drop below the zone. Nonetheless, his eye at the plate is a strong suit, evidenced by 160 walks against 122 strikeouts in college, indicating he isn’t easily fooled by pitchers and does a solid job of controlling the strike zone.
In the field, Burress may not gather as much attention as his bat, but his defensive contributions are solid. He exhibits solid reads and enough arm strength to handle the outfield corners, contributing to his overall package as a college hitter who doubles as a capable defender. His blend of power, plate discipline, and defensive ability makes him a compelling draft pick, and the Athletics’ selection of him with the eighth overall choice reflects the value they see in his ceiling as a high-impact outfielder with the potential to develop into a central piece of their lineup for years to come.