Burger's custom Players' Weekend bats highlight family, mental health

NEW YORK -- Jake Burger’s never been one to shy away from making his impact felt. And in the past month and a half, the 28-year-old has taken to announcing his presence with the bat in Miami, leading the Majors with 17 home runs since July 2, pacing powerful names like Juan Soto and Anthony Santander. But during MLB’s Players’ Weekend, when the league’s stars get the chance to express themselves and celebrate the causes and loved ones that fuel their journeys, Burger is using his bats to make a different kind of statement.

This weekend against the Mets, Burger is rocking two fully customized bats from Old Hickory that represent a couple of his greatest loves and passions -- his family, and mental health awareness. With a wry smile, Burger said which bat he uses on Sunday will be determined by whichever he swings better with.

“I think for me, even when we don’t have the chance to use these types of bats, any time that I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed, I think back to my family,” Burger said. “And now, actually having a visual is better.”

The first bat harkens back to home for Burger, in more ways than one: emblazoned in red, white and blue, with the Tennessee flag printed on the barrel and the names of his loved ones on the handle, including his wife Ashlyn. He used the bat in each of his plate appearances in Friday’s 7-3 loss, hitting his 24th homer of the season with it. Burger plans to have it framed and put up in his home.

“Honestly, one of the cooler moments. Probably one of my favorite home runs I’ve ever had,” Burger said. “Just having their names in my hands … and to hit that, to have them cheering in the stands -- you really couldn’t draw it up any better than that.

“Any way that I can give them a shoutout or kudos, I’m going to do that because I’m so blessed to have a family like I do.”

Since arriving in Miami after being acquired from the White Sox at the 2023 Trade Deadline, Burger’s family has blossomed and grown, giving him more reasons to play the game that he loves. In May, the Burger family got a special moment on the field, as Ashlyn and their son Brooks threw out the first pitch to Jake. And with the family expecting another child on the way, Burger keeps finding things to be grateful for each time he steps onto the field.

Maybe an underrated part of the Deadline is how difficult the period can be in the minds of players, with constant transaction rumors and travel logistics weighing upon all the other considerations to get through a 162-game season. Adding in the ebbs and flows of a player’s production throughout the year, the moments where you struggle on the field can be especially lonely.

Burger plans to never forget who’s been by his side every step of the way, reciprocating love and support at every turn.

“[Our family] is the only constant in our lives, there’s so many moving parts in this game,” Burger said. “Going through the Trade Deadline, being able to fly with them. Ashlyn did an incredible job for me … where she’s like, ‘Hey I’ll take care of everything outside of baseball, you just worry about going out there and playing.’

“I couldn’t do this without her. I don’t say those words lightly. It really is a unit when you’re going through this with a marriage and kids. … In moments early this year, where I was struggling, just being able to vent with her and have her keep my spirits up through a rough patch -- and vice versa. Just being able to have that communication with each other and know that at the end of the day, we’re each other's rocks, that nothing can get in our way if we stay strong together.”

The other bat is a lime green number that’s dedicated to his work in advocating for greater mental health awareness among athletes, which he used on Saturday and hit a double with in the Marlins' 4-0 loss. The barrel features the cause’s large green ribbon, Burger’s mantra from his initiative “Burger B.O.M.B.S,” and a semicolon on the knob of the bat representing suicide awareness.

Burger’s passion for advocating for greater mental health awareness among athletes began after tearing his achilles on Feb. 26, 2018 -- a date that’s tattooed on his left forearm and painted on the handle of his bat this weekend. After tearing his achilles again two months later, Burger dealt with anxiety, depression and PTSD in the aftermath of his injury, and he openly discussed his mental struggles online and in public.

Acknowledging the nature of the sport, with its entrenched views on toughness and masculinity, Burger works to counteract the stereotypes with his openness. A willingness to discuss mental health issues with teammates and other players -- who likely go through similar anxieties and worries throughout their career -- is more important than one can imagine.

“There’s not a guy in this clubhouse that hasn’t dealt with some sort of adversity, and you just don’t know how that’s going to affect your mental health,” Burger said. “To be able to have that experience that I have, and be able to communicate that to other guys has been huge. … There’s such a small community, and we all know the grueling nature of this sport. Being able to have those conversations is paramount.”