Michael Burgess looks for new start with Patriots

BRIDGEWATER – This could have been an uncomfortable situation for newly acquired Somerset Patriots outfielder Michael Burgess.

Making his first foray into independent baseball, the 26-year-old former top prospect says he didn’t know anyone on the roster when he decided to “take a chance” and sign here after being released by the Baltimore Orioles organization.

So far, so good.

“It’s been awesome. This is a great bunch of guys,” Burgess said. “It feels like home.”

He was a first-round pick by the Washington Nationals organization in 2007, but the Tampa resident’s career hasn’t played out as many thought it might. He topped out at Double-A after four years in the Nationals system and has since played in the minors with the Cubs, Astros and Orioles. Given his impressive raw power — he has five MiLB seasons with 18-plus home runs — and overall skillset, that he’s in the Atlantic League at all is somewhat of a surprise.

“He looks like he’s got some pretty good tools,” said manager Brett Jodie.

“He can play all three outfield positions, and he’s a guy with some power. He’s a high-round pick, so you know he’s got tools, but you never saw the consistency at the minor league level except for 2014, and that’s what really got me excited. His strikeouts were down, the power numbers were still there, and the average was still there. … We hope he can get rolling, get comfortable and show those tools he did from last year.”

Between two levels in the Baltimore system last year, Burgess hit .302 with 15 home runs and 70 RBI but was deemed expendable by organization after a slow start at Double-A Bowie. He’ll get every opportunity to turn his year around in Bridgewater, essentially taking the place of Chris Marrero, who signed with the Chicago White Sox earlier this month.

“When I was coming in, I was just expecting to come play baseball,” Burgess said. “Indy ball and affiliated baseball, it’s all the same. It’s no different — you still have to hit the ball, you still have to play defense, and you’ve still got to compete. This just gives you another opportunity.”

Through his first five games with Somerset, Burgess was hitting just .158, but he’s confident this opportunity will produce results.

“I’m just getting going,” he said. “I hadn’t played in 11 days before I got here, so it’s going to take a little bit to get going. But when I get going, it’s going to be something special.”