Sportsvival keeps coming back to Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress because he has already built one of the strongest college hitting résumés in the 2026 MLB Draft class. He is a junior, bats and throws right-handed, is listed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, and enters the draft cycle as one of the top outfield prospects in the country. MLB’s draft page lists him among the very top names in the class and says he is a candidate to be the first outfielder selected.
Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech, 5-foot-9, 185 pounds
Past Accomplishments – High School
Burress arrived at Georgia Tech with a major prep résumé. Georgia Tech says he was rated the No. 4 outfielder and No. 18 overall prospect nationally, the No. 1 outfielder and No. 2 overall prospect in Georgia, helped Houston County win two state championships and four region titles, was named Georgia Player of the Year, earned national high school All-America honors, hit 31 home runs as a junior, and tied the state record with 73 RBI.
College Resume
Burress made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2024. Georgia Tech credits him with a .381 batting average, 25 home runs, 67 RBI, 15 doubles, three triples, a .512 on-base percentage, and a .821 slugging percentage, while drawing more walks than strikeouts. The school also notes that he won Tech’s triple crown, set the program freshman home run record, and blasted four home runs in a single game against Georgia State.
He followed that with another huge season in 2025. Georgia Tech says Burress slashed .333/.469/.693 with 19 home runs, 23 doubles, 62 RBI, 77 runs scored, and 53 walks against 42 strikeouts, while leading the ACC in extra-base hits and doubles. The school also notes that he was the only player from a Power 4 conference to reach at least 60 RBI, 20 doubles, 50 walks, 15 home runs, and 70 runs last season.
Background and Recruit Profile
What stands out most with Burress is not just one breakout year, but how steady the production has been. Georgia Tech lists him as a 2025 first-team All-American by several outlets, a two-time Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, a two-time Dick Howser Award semifinalist, a two-time first-team All-ACC selection, and the 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year. He also entered 2026 with the best career slugging percentage in program history among players with at least 300 at-bats.
Physical Profile and Measurables
Burress is not the classic oversized corner-outfield prototype, but his game is built around a compact frame, quick hands, strength through the swing, and advanced barrel feel. MLB’s draft coverage describes him as a disciplined hitter with plenty of bat speed and strength in that compact build, and Georgia Tech’s official listing confirms the 5-foot-9, 185-pound frame that evaluators are weighing against his production.
2026 Stats Update
Through Georgia Tech’s official season stats dated March 22, 2026, Burress was hitting .276 in 24 games, going 27-for-98 with 28 runs, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 18 RBI, 21 walks, 6 hit-by-pitches, 19 strikeouts, a .432 on-base percentage, and a .531 slugging percentage. He had also gone 3-for-7 on stolen-base attempts.
Even with the batting average lower than his first two college seasons, the approach still stands out. Burress had more walks than strikeouts as a freshman, stayed close to even last season, and again had 21 walks against 19 strikeouts through March 22 this year. That is a strong marker for a hitter whose offensive value is not built only on pull-side power.
Offensive Profile
Sportsvival likes Burress because the offensive profile checks multiple boxes. He has already shown he can hit for average, get on base at a high clip, drive the ball for power, and stack doubles and home runs against ACC pitching. Georgia Tech’s record book notes from his first two seasons and current-year stats show a hitter with 49 career home runs by mid-March 2026, and the school said that total had already set the program’s BBCOR-era record while moving him into fifth place in school history.
The extra-base impact is a major selling point. Burress hit 15 doubles as a freshman, 23 as a sophomore, and already had 8 doubles by March 22 of his junior season. That matters because it suggests this is not an all-or-nothing slugger. It is a hitter who can damage baseballs in more than one way, which is a big reason he remains in the top tier of this draft class.
Defensive Profile
Defensively, Burress has real outfield experience and some arm value. Georgia Tech says he set the school record for most assists by an outfielder with 10 as a freshman, and the 2025 bio notes that he started all 60 games in center field last season. MLB’s draft coverage also points to enough speed and arm strength for all three outfield spots, even if some evaluators may eventually prefer him in a corner at the professional level.
MLB Comparison
Mookie Betts.
That comp is about style, not projected career outcome. Burress has a similarly compact build, right-handed bat, strong strike-zone feel, real power for his size, and enough athletic ability to stay valuable in the outfield. The comparison is rooted in how the game looks coming off the bat and how much impact can come from a smaller frame.
Draft Outlook
Sportsvival sees Burress as a first-round talent and one of the most dangerous college bats in this class. The size will always be part of the conversation, and clubs will keep debating his long-term defensive home, but the résumé is too strong to ignore: massive freshman production, a star-level sophomore encore, strong on-base skill again in 2026, and a career home-run pace that already ranks among the best in Georgia Tech history. MLB’s draft coverage places him among the top names in the class and identifies him as a strong candidate to be the first outfielder taken, which fits the overall shape of the profile.
Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated