A third-round pick in the 2021 draft, Sean Burke was one of the top pitchers in the White Sox system over the last few years. He was a quick riser in the system, as he made it all the way to AAA in just his first full season in the minors. He was on a fast track to the pros, as he was a college pitcher out of Maryland, but unfortunately, this past year was riddled with injuries, limiting him to only nine games.
After getting drafted in 2021, would pitch only two games at the Arizona Complex league before getting moved to Kannapolis. There he would start five games, tossing 14 innings of 3.21 ERA baseball. He had 20 strikeouts in that timeframe, holding batters to a measly .191 average. This was about as great a debut as he could have asked for.
In 2022, he would pitch over three different levels, making it all the way to Charlotte. It would be a pretty solid season for him, as overall he would pitch 108 innings, starting 26 games. He would pitch to a 2.89 ERA at Winston-Salem over six games before getting promoted to AA Birmingham.
He would struggle a bit in Birmingham, as over 19 starts he had a 4.81 ERA. He would give up 72 hits in just 73 innings, with a 1.4 WHIP. He did strike out 99 batters there, showing that his stuff can still play. Once he got to AAA, things didn’t get much better, as he had an 11.47 ERA. Thankfully, it was just a small sample size, as he gave up nine runs in just seven innings. A rough season, but he still showed that he has the potential to be a big leaguer.
2023 unfortunately was a wash, as he was injured for the majority of the year. In his nine starts, he had a 7.61 ERA in 36.2 innings. He would strike out 34 batters, but he walked 27 batters. This led to an inflated 1.72 WHIP. The opponent’s average was .265, so that wasn’t much of the problem, it was the walks that really hurt him.
It is hard to judge this season, as he struggled through injuries, and it is clear he was not fully healthy. He still has a great fastball and a very good curveball, so those alone will likely get him to the pros sooner rather than later. If he shows that he is healthy, he could find himself in a camp competition come Spring Training.
With that in consideration, I would grade his season a C. He still shows he has the stuff to be a professional pitcher, but he still needs to put it all together. Hopefully, an offseason where he can get healthy can put him on the right track for 2024, as the White Sox can use all the pitching they can get.
