White Sox prospect Sean Burke reflects on his success in the minors and how he has grown as a pitcher
Photo Credit: The Athletic
Since the Chicago White Sox drafted Sean Burke, he has been a pitcher that scouts have kept their eyes on. Due to his success at the University of Maryland, Chicago made Burke a third-round pick in the 2021 draft. It was a process that the Worcester native will never forget.
“It was stressful, honestly,” said Burke. “I had some friends and family over the day of the draft. For me, leading up to it, I thought I had a really good plan with my agent. I mean, we did have a good plan, looking back on it with everything and discussing how everything would go. I ended up going later than I thought I would go, but now I’m in a great situation with the White Sox.”
Shortly after the draft, Burke made his professional debut. He made a great first impression as in seven appearances between Rookie Ball and Single-A, the talented righty posted a 2.65 ERA. In 17 innings of work, he was a strikeout machine as he recorded 25 punchouts.
After an impressive start to his baseball career, Burke quickly moved through the White Sox’s system and ended the 2023 campaign in Triple-A. However, at each stop, the 2021 draftee has had to make adjustments.
“In Low-A and High-A, it was about being consistent with my stuff,” said Burke. “Once I got to Double-A, that was the first level that really challenged me. I knew I had the stuff to do well, but I had to learn how to pitch. At that level, you can’t just overpower guys. I think that is where a lot of my growth happened. This year at Triple-A was frustrating with how everything went with the injury, and I never felt 100 percent.”
As Burke dealt with injuries during the 2023 campaign, he posted a 7.61 ERA in nine games before being placed on the 7-day injured list on June 22. His season ended when he was moved to the 60-day IL on July 27.
Despite his struggles, Burke has relied on advice he has gotten in the past to get through the ups and downs that come with playing professional baseball.
“I’d say in professional baseball, it’s about rolling with the highs and the lows,” said Burke. “The season is so long; you have so many games, so many pitches, so many days in the field. Being able to stay consistent is something I have been trying to work on since I was in college. I always knew at my best, I could compete with the best in the world. It’s about how often I can be at my best, which is the challenge of pro ball.”
With a long offseason ahead, the Terrapins product is focusing on building up his strength for the 2024 campaign. In 43 minor league games, he has posted a 5.18 ERA, which is partly due to last season. However, regardless of the level, Burke has shown that he has swing-and-miss stuff and the ability to succeed in the majors.
After ending last season, one call from accomplishing his dream a promotion to the majors in 2024 isn’t out of the question.
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