First rounder Blake Burke inks deal with Milwaukee Brewers
Tennessee first baseman Blake Burke has officially signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Brewers after the team selected him with the No. 34 overall pick in the Competitive Balance Round A of the 2024 Major league Baseball Draft.
According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Burke signed for $2,100,00. The slot value for the No. 34 overall pick is $2,698,300, meaning the first baseman signed for $598,300 under slot.
The #Brewers signed supplemental first rounder Blake Burke for $2,100,000. Slot value for the 34th pick is $2,698,300.
— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) July 24, 2024
“That’s a home run if you ask me,” coach Tony Vitello laughed seconds after the pick was announced while doing draft coverage on the MLB Network. “Blake Burke, he can hit home runs, but also, he has phenomenal hand-eye [coordination]. Some of the two-strike battles that we were able to witness were incredible.”
Burke became the 21st first round pick in Tennessee program history and the sixth of the Tony Vitello era. Tennessee’s Christian Moore was taken earlier Sunday night eighth overall by the Angels. Chase Dollander was taken ninth overall by the Rockies in 2023, Drew Gilbert 28th overall by the Astros in 2022, Jordan Beck 38th by the Rockies in 2022 and Garrett Crochet 11th overall by the White Sox in 2020.
“The biggest thing for me with Blake Burke – CMO [Christian Moore] led us on the field in so many different ways and out catcher was phenomenal, but Blake Burke was probably our best all-around leader. Whether it be away from the field, clubhouse, on the field,” Vitello continued. “We literally got to a point to where I’d go out to make a pitching change, but Blake Burke was the one who would meet the relief pitcher and coach him up. Obviously, it worked.”
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Blake to the Brew Crew!#GBO // #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/20hmG4j0D7
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
Burke was named a First Team All-American by four different publications for his efforts in 2024, a season where he raked 20 home runs and drove in 61 runs while hitting .379 for the national champions. The first baseman finished his Tennessee career second in program home runs with 50 over three seasons.
“Got a lot better defensively at first base through a lot of hard work. And I’ll tell you what. He plays like a little leaguer,” Vitello said. “He loves to play the game – which is required at the big league level with how many repetitions are required.”
In 2024, Buke also registered career highs in average, games played (72), at-bats (285), runs (74), hits (108), doubles (30), home runs, RBI, walks (35) and stolen bases (11). The slugger was also named a two-time Freshman All-American in 2022 after homering 14 times in just 95 at-bats.
