Massachusetts featured one of its best high school classes ever in 2018, headlined by future 2021 first-rounders Sal Frelick and Ryan Cusick and three more prominent pitching picks from last July in Sean Burke, Steven Hajjar and Mike Vasil.
Burke had Tommy John surgery in May of his senior season at St. John's Shrewsbury (Mass.), costing him his first season at Maryland. He bounced back to serve as the Terrapins' best starter for the next two years. A third-round pick last July, he struck out 20 in 14 innings at Low-A after signing for an over-slot $800,000.
In 2022, Burke was regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the White Sox organization. He was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Month in August.
Burke showed growth in his last six starts in Double-A Birmingham, throwing 25 innings and posting a 2.52 ERA before getting a late-season promotion to Triple-A Charlotte. New England Baseball Journal recently sat down with Burke to talk about his career.
