When spring training began, it was a question mark whether Sean Burke would make the White Sox roster. I had him at No. 6 on my list of 10 candidates for the starting rotation.
Turns out, Burke is not only on the team, but he'll also start Opening Day on March 27 against the Los Angeles Angels, according to manager Will Venable.
Burke, 25, was a third-round pick out of the University of Maryland in 2021, and he did not make his MLB debut until last season.
In fact, Burke has only three starts and 19 innings in the majors to his credit, but hey, he was effective in a small sample size. He went 2-0 on a team that only won 41 games all season, and he struck out 22 in those 19 innings.
It's just a surprise the Sox are going this direction, with more experienced options such as Martin Perez and Davis Martin on the roster.
That said, of all the candidates for the Opening Day start, Burke perhaps has the best stuff. He's got the 95 mph fastball. He's added a sinker to his power slider, and he showed a good changeup last season that helped keep opposing batters off his higher-velocity pitches.
Ultimately, what is there to lose if Burke fails? Expectations for the season are super low. The ceiling for Burke is higher than someone like the journeyman Perez, so I see no real drawback to giving this a shot.
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