Burger's new number honors special cause close to home

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry's Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- In October, when Jake Burger was still a member of the Marlins, he contemplated a number switch. The infielder wore No. 30 with the White Sox from 2021-23 and No. 36 with Miami from ’23-24.

But on Oct. 25, Burger and his wife Ashlyn welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Penelope, who was born with Down syndrome.

So Burger wanted to switch to No. 21 for the 2025 season, honoring Penelope and others with Down syndrome. The genetic condition, known clinically as Trisomy 21, occurs when a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21.

“For me, this is the first time I can pick a number that's not just close to my heart, but close to a lot of people's hearts,” Burger said. “For me, it's about trying to spread awareness and trying to get the word out about Down syndrome and how people can get support. I'm just really proud of this number and really excited to wear this and represent [not only] my daughter, but also so many people out there.”

Burger announced his number on Friday night, ahead of the Rangers’ annual awards banquet. The Burgers had been aware of the diagnosis since April, but switching numbers didn’t occur to them until after Penelope was born.

“I think it was right when she was born,” Burger recalled. “I was with Miami at the time still, and we were going down avenues to pick No. 21 there, and fortunately, [I] came over here and was able to get it. So I’m just really, really grateful I had the opportunity to wear that number, because it means a lot. My wife, she’s a lot smarter than I am, she brought the idea to the table. So I'm proud of wearing this number.”

Penelope is doing well. Burger said she spent just four days in the NICU, when other cases have stretched six to eight weeks. She avoided surgery immediately after birth, but Burger will likely miss time during Spring Training when Penelope undergoes open heart surgery.

“She's the strongest little person I know, and she's going to get through that with a breeze,” Burger said. “She's got an awesome family around her and an awesome mom, and I'm just just praying for her every day.”

Burger added that while he cannot give too much information just yet, he and his family will also be doing a ton of work behind the scenes to raise awareness for Down syndrome, including starting a foundation with ties to their home in Nashville, Tenn., and here in the Metroplex.

“We're really, really excited to push that forward and help as many families as we can,” Burger said. “We call it the ‘lucky few’; that’s families with a kid affected with Down syndrome. That's how my wife Ashlyn and I feel. That's how Brooks feels as her brother. We're just so, so grateful to have this opportunity to help as many families out there as we can.”