Texas Rangers’ Jake Burger Changes Jersey to No. 21 in Honor of Daughter Who Has Down Syndrome

Mar. 15, 2025

Jake Burger poses at the team’s awards dinner on Jan. 17, 2025, in Arlington, Texas, with wife Ashlyn, son Brooks and daughter Penelope while holding the No. 21 jersey.Photo:AP Photo/Stephen Hawkins

AP Photo/Stephen Hawkins

Jake Burgeris honoring his daughter on the field with a special tribute.

The Texas Rangers player, 28, will wear number 21 for the 2025 season in honor of his daughter Penelope, who wasborn with Down syndrome, according to theMajor Baseball League.

The genetic condition, known as Trisomy 21, results in an extra copy of chromosome 21.

Jake Burger poses at the team’s awards dinner on Jan. 17, 2025, in Arlington, Texas, with wife Ashlyn, son Brooks and daughter Penelope while holding the No. 21 jersey.AP Photo/Stephen Hawkins

“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,” he said. “For me, it’s about trying to spread awareness and get the word out about Down syndrome and how people can get support.”

Burger continued, “I’m just really proud of this number and really excited to wear this and represent my daughter, but also so many people out there.”

He went on to share that he is starting a foundation to help families with Down syndrome.

“We’re really excited to push that forward and help as many families as we can,” Burger added.

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Burger and his wife Ashlyn welcomed Penelope, their second child, on Oct. 25, 2024. The two are also parents to son Brooks Jacob, 2, whose birth the athlete revealed onXin 2022.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the couple recalled the momentthey learned of Penelope’s diagnosisand said they were not fazed a bit.

Jake and Ashlyn Burger with their kids on a ranch.Ashlyn Burger/Instagram

Ashlyn Burger/Instagram

“Our initial thought on learning about her diagnosis was simple, we just looked at each other and I had said to Ash, ‘Okay, and?’ " Burger said. “Life isn’t meant to be easy, it’s meant to be fulfilling and this is God’s way of doing just that.”

“Miami … Thank you for everything,” he wrote in his farewell post onInstagram. “Thank you [for] welcoming my family and me with open arms from day 1 and throughout the last 18 months. We are so grateful for our time in this beautiful city. We are so thankful for the relationships we were able to build with my teammates, my coaches, the staff, the fans and the people of Miami. Thank you for my first taste of postseason baseball. Miami will hold a special place in our hearts.”

The player added that he was “honored, humbled, determined and incredibly excited” to join the Rangers.

source: people.com