​The Athletics kicked off draft day by selecting outfielder Drew Burress from Georgia Tech with the No. 8 overall pick, and they closed Day One with a standout value pick in Roman Martin from UCLA. In between, Oakland chose three college pitchers: left-hander Mason Edwards from USC, right-hander Gabe Gaeckle from Arkansas, and right-hander Jacob Dudan from NC State.
Burress has been remarkably consistent throughout his college career, setting a school record with 60 homers, surpassing Jason Varitek’s previous mark of 57. Over three seasons at Tech, he not only earned a degree but also posted a .357 batting average, a .484 on-base percentage, and a 1.204 OPS. He burst onto the scene as a freshman with 25 homers, 67 RBIs, 58 walks, and 37 strikeouts, while hitting .381 with a .512 OBP. Impressively, he maintained a similar level of production across his three years, establishing himself as one of the premier bats in college baseball despite his relatively compact frame. Burress is eager to join the A’s. “The A’s team and organization, where it’s at right now, is actually in such an exciting spot,” Burress said after the draft. He went on to name some of the A’s key players, his friend Devin Taylor in the minors, and Jamie Arnold, whom he faced numerous times in college. “It’s a really, really exciting group of guys for sure, and I’m ready to be a part of it.”
Andy Burress, Drew’s father, was a sixth-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 1995 out of high school and reached as high as Double-A Chattanooga. In a roundtable with Athletics, Drew was asked what lessons his dad has instilled in him to reach this point. “I would say the biggest thing my dad told me was how you do anything is how you do everything,” Burress explained. “Whether that was shagging flies, hitting batting practice, lifting, eating right, or sleeping well, he taught me to do things the right way, and I think that’s been a huge part of why I’ve been as successful as I’ve been so far.”
Analysts have raised some concerns that Burress’s power might not fully translate to wood bats given his height, listed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds. To address those questions, A’s Scouting Director Eric Kubota spoke about the club’s confidence in Burress at No. 8. “We don’t have any concern about that,” Kubota said. “His metrics line up with the best power hitters to come out of college in the last few years, so we’re not worried about that. People might say that because he isn’t tall, but he’s incredibly strong, and we believe the power will translate.” Burress’s arc also intersects with a prior meeting: he faced A’s draftee Jacob Dudan back in March, going 2-for-4 with two singles and a strikeout. Dudan pitched six innings, allowing nine hits and four earned runs while issuing four walks and recording 10 strikeouts on 114 pitches. A couple of weeks later, Dudan needed Tommy John surgery.
As the draft moves forward, the A’s will look to maximize Burress’s and their other draft selections’ growth, balancing questions about power projection with the tangible, demonstrable track record Burress has built at Georgia Tech. With the organization emphasizing a fast-tracked development path for college hurlers like Edwards, Gaeckle, and Dudan, Oakland is betting on a blend of proven college performance and high upside on the mound to complement Burress’s proven hitting ability. The immediate takeaway is clear: the Athletics have assembled a class designed to contribute at multiple levels as soon as possible, while laying the groundwork for a healthier, deeper pipeline for future waves of talent.