White Sox Prospect Season Recap: No. 29, Sean Burke

The 2024 season for the Chicago White Sox was one of the worst in modern day baseball history. They were 41-121 and the worst team in the league by far. The bright spots were few and far between, as the team was very hard to watch for many White Sox fans. 

However, down on the farm, the White Sox have some very intriguing players that can give fans a glimmer of hope for the future. We will be recapping the season of some of the best prospects in the White Sox system, starting from #30 and going in order to #1 as MLB Pipeline has them ranked. As you’ll see, there are some very intriguing prospects that can help bring the White Sox back to relevance.

Ranked at number 29, which is way too low, is starting pitcher Sean Burke. Burke got his chance at the end of the year to pitch in Chicago and he did not disappoint, as he looks to hold a spot in the starting rotation to start the year in 2025.

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. His last few years have been riddled with injuries, however, in 2024 he was healthy and he proved what he could do.

Before getting the promotion to Chicago, Burke statistics weren't overwhelming in AAA. While he looked better than the stats showed, he had a 4.62 ERA over 16 starts. In those 16 starts, he threw 64.1 innings, striking out 86 batters. He had a phenomenal .199 batting average against, but his WHIP was slightly elevated at 1.29. While the ERA and the WHIP weren't great, hitters were having a tough time hitting him, as he was striking out a lot of batters while not giving up many hits.

The White Sox clearly saw he was pitching very well, as they promoted him with a few weeks left in the season. Burke was able to get three starts in before the end of the season and looked very good in all of them.

In his 19 innings in the big leagues, Burke was 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA. He struck out 22 batters, while hitters hit just .174 against him. His WHIP improved from AAA, as it was 1.000. This was a fantastic start to his major league career, as you couldn't write it up much better.

With his performance in the majors to end the year, Burke has likely earned himself a role in the 2025 starting rotation in Chicago. If he pitches anywhere near to how he did at the end of the year, he will stick around the rotation for a very long time.