The Chicago White Sox are feeling great after winning Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series 6-3 against the Houston Astros.
On Wednesday, right-hander Sean Burke got the green light to start Game 2 against the Astros' righty Hunter Brown. A recent quote from Burke offers tremendous insight into his laser-focused mindset, per Bleacher Report. In other words, Burke has no time for anything besides baseball, according to James Fegan of The Chicago Sun-Times.
“This is my life,” Burke told the Sun-Times. “I don’t have family, no girl, no kids. This is all I do.”
This year, Burke, 26, went 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA and 185 strikeouts. Since his days at the University of Maryland, Burke has had to overcome a lot. In the minors, he dealt with shoulder issues and rotator cuff tendinitis before honing a solid four-seam fastball, his signature pitch.
His desire to make it to the show and stay there explains his mindset.
He debuted with the White Sox in September 2024. Since then, he has bounced around the minor leagues. In 2025, Burke joined the Opening Day roster as the starting pitcher against the Los Angeles Angels.
He pitched six scoreless innings and struck out three in an 8-1 victory.
Since then, Burke has posted a 17-18 record, a 3.59 ERA, and 340 strikeouts.
The White Sox are in their first playoffs since back-to-back 100+ loss seasons. If they win on Wednesday, Chicago will face the Cleveland Guardians, who won the AL Central, in the ALDS.
The first game is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, at Progressive Field in Cleveland.