Surprise! White Sox name Sean Burke Opening Day starter

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Raise your hand if you had Sean Burke as the White Sox’ Opening Day starter.

Few saw first-year manager Will Venable’s announcement Sunday that the 25-year old right-hander, with all of four games of major league experience, would be the Sox’ choice to take the ball against the Angels and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi on March 27 at the Rate.

Then again, the three pitchers who were thought to be the top candidates to start Venable’s first game as a manager – right-handers Jonathan Cannon and Davis Martin and lefty Martin Perez – aren’t exactly “staff ace” material. If Burke is marginally close this season to what Garrett Crochet turned out to be, Venable, pitching coach Ethan Katz and general manager Chris Getz will look very smart. Crochet, who made the first start of his career on Opening Day, was also a surprise pick.

“I was surprised, pleasantly surprised,” Burke said late Sunday morning, about an hour and a half after he got the word. “But I’m grateful the organization trusts me with that role and they are supportive of me. Just kind of speechless in the moment, but trying to take it all in now and super thankful.”

About two hours earlier, Burke talked with media about his start the day before and Venable confirming that he was in the rotation, with no one in the group including Burke thinking the opener was in his future. The Sox social media department captured a moment Burke didn’t see coming.

“Honestly, not really,” Burke said. “Obviously everyone wants to be the Opening Day guy coming into camp. I would be lying if I said that wasn’t the goal or in the future for my career. But I knew coming into camp, there is a ton of deserving guys for this and guys with more experience.

“It’s awesome. So few people get to play in the big leagues and even fewer people get to start on Opening Day.”

The 6-6, 230-pound Burke, a third-round Sox draft choice in 2021, was called up from Triple-A Charlotte last September to make four appearances including three starts. In 19 innings, he allowed four runs (three earned) on 12 hits and seven walks while striking out 22 batters. His 1.42 ERA, albeit over a small sample size, was a beauty.

In three starts this spring, Burke owns a 4.15 ERA, with nine hits allowed including two home runs, and five walks and six strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings. Martin hasn’t allowed a run and only one hit over two Cactus League starts and one against an overmatched Japanese independent team, but sample sizes in spring training are too small to make much of, whether the results are good or bad.

“Sean has had a great camp,” said Venable, who told Burke, “congratulations, dude, you just crushed it in camp. The way you take care of business, your presence and professionalism. You like to pitch in the cold, right? So let’s go, let’s do it man. I could not be happier for you, you are so deserving.”

Cannon seemed like the favorite going into camp, Martin was the hot choice as camp unfolded and Perez has had the best career, all “great candidates” in Venable’s view.

“But for us as we were looking at things, strategically to get off to a great start, we couldn’t be more excited to name Sean our OD starter,” Venable said.

Venable said the rest of the rotation hasn’t been finalized, but Cannon, Perez, Martin and Shane Smith will likely round it out.

Burke is the one set at the top, however.

“Everyone has their path and certainly happy for Sean and the fact that his has brought him to be our Opening Day starter,” Venable said. “Really excited for him and the organization.”