With ten pitchers battling for five spots, one of the biggest questions entering camp was who would fill out the Chicago White Sox starting rotation.

That question has now been answered. The club announced that Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin, and Erick Fedde will open the season in the rotation.

But plenty of questions remain. Can Smith build on his All-Star season? Will Anthony Kay’s success overseas translate to the major leagues? What is Davis Martin’s ceiling? Will Fedde’s reunion with the White Sox result in a bounce-back season after a rough 2025 campaign?

Those uncertainties are a big reason why the White Sox rotation is still viewed as one of the team’s biggest weaknesses. Someone who will have a major say in that is the White Sox number No. 2  starter, Sean Burke.

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After earning the Opening Day nod last season, Burke is once again in line for a marquee assignment, starting the home opener at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 2 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Burke being named the team’s No. 2 starter came as a bit of a surprise given his body of work last season. Five months after being named the Opening Day starter, he was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte in an attempt to iron out some issues in a less pressurized environment.

He finished the season with a 4.22 ERA across 134.1 innings, which included 22 starts and was plagued by inconsistency. His 10.6% walk rate was one of the highest in baseball; he had difficulty generating swings and misses, and opponents didn’t have much issue drawing hard contact.

Finding consistency has been one of the focuses for Burke this Spring. In his latest Cactus League outing against the Texas Rangers on Monday, he allowed one run on three hits, striking out four and walking three over 4 2/3 innings.

The most encouraging sign was his command. Burke threw 52 of his 78 pitches for strikes. After issuing 63 free passes last season, that 68% smark represents a significant step forward, even in a small sample size.

For Burke to take the next step, limiting free passes will be critical, as will inducing more ground balls to offset the contact he allows. But at 26 years old and with just 32 MLB appearances under his belt, there is still room for growth.

His knuckle curve emerged as one of his best weapons last season, with opponents hitting just .210 against it, the lowest average of any of his five offerings. Another encouraging sign is the fact that his sinker, which averaged 94 mph last season, reached  97.9 mph against the Rangers.

Given that Burke already struggles to generate swings and misses, a harder sinker could help him offset that by producing more ground balls.

Burke could also benefit from another season working with the same catching corps, which should provide greater continuity and help refine game plans throughout the year. The continuity in camp is something that he credited with helping control baserunners, an issue that has plagued the White Sox in recent seasons. According to Burke, this has included varying holds and doing a variety of picks.

Whether that work translates into results remains to be seen, but with a wave of prospects pushing for opportunities, the 2026 season will be pivotal for Burke.