Checking in on how these local Major League Baseball stars are doing at the All-Star break

At the Major League Baseball All-Star break, here is a look at how three former Central Mass. high school standouts are faring in their big-league journeys.

Sean Burke

Chicago White Sox

Burke, who grew up in Sutton and starred at St. John’s, was the White Sox 2025 Opening Day starter and flourished in a victory over the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander allowed three hits over six scoreless innings.

At the break, Burke is 4-8 with a 4.36 ERA in 19 appearances (16 starts). He has struck out 80 batters and walked 43 while allowing 16 home runs, tied for 19^th most among MLB pitchers.

Burke, who made his major-league debut for the White Sox last September, had the thrill of pitching at Fenway Park on April 20. In five innings, he allowed 4 runs, 1 earned, on 5 hits and did not factor in the decision.

Burke, who was a third-round pick of the White Sox out of Maryland in 2021, had a 7.71 ERA in his five April appearances and a 2.73 ERA in six May games.

One of Burke’s best outings of the year was July 2 at Dodger Stadium when he gave up one earned run over six innings, the same night Clayton Kershaw registered his 3,000^th career strikeout. The Dodgers rallied to win, and Burke got a no-decision.

In his last start, July 12, allowed two earned runs over five innings against the Guardians and did not factor in the decision.

Burke, 25, was one of the heroes of St. John’s Division 1A Super 8 state championship team in 2017.

Ian Seymour

Tampa Bay Rays

Sixteen days after Seymour started for the Triple-A Durham Bulls in a game against the Worcester Red Sox at Polar Park, the Rays, on June 8, called up the former St. John’s High left-hander to the big-league roster.

The next night, in his MLB debut at Fenway Park, Seymour pitched two scoreless relief innings against the Red Sox to earn his first career victory.

“I don’t know if I could have scripted it any better,” Seymour, who grew up in Westborough, said after the game.

Tampa Bay optioned Seymour to Durham June 10, but recalled him July 8.

In his next appearance, on July 13, again in Boston, Seymour threw two scoreless innings in relief, but did not factor in the decision as the Red Sox won, 4-1.

The 26-year-old Seymour, a second-round draft pick of the Rays out of Virginia Tech in 2020, returned from Tommy John surgery in 2022 to earn Tampa Bay’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year award last season. At the time of his initial call-up to the Rays, he led the International League with 84 strikeouts and had a 2.95 ERA.

In 2017, Seymour closed out St. John’s 5-4 victory over St. John’s Prep in the Division 1A Super 8 championship game.

Matt Shaw

Chicago Cubs

Shaw, who grew up in Brimfield and starred at Worcester Academy, earned a spot on the Cubs’ 2025 Opening Day roster, but batted just .172 in 18 games before the team sent him back to Triple-A Iowa.

After rejoining the club May 19, Shaw hit .339 with 8 extra-base hits and had 7 stolen bases in his first 17 games back in the bigs.

The 23-year-old Shaw has continued to play solid defense at third base, but, over the last month, has struggled at the plate. Shaw is batting .198 in 63 games. He has 2 home runs and 15 RBIs, and he has struck out 45 times.

Shaw was not in the Cubs’ starting lineup for the team’s three-game series against the New York Yankees July 11-13 after going 0 for his last 22.

“Just collectively, we’ve got to work hard to help Matt and to help Matt be the solution or just to be the guy we think he can be,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters last week. “That’s not going to stop. We’re going to keep doing that.”

At the University of Maryland, Shaw was the 2023 Big Ten Player of the Year. He had a record-setting and All-America junior season. The Cubs selected him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 draft, making him the highest draft pick in Maryland history.

Burke played for the Worcester Bravehearts in 2020 and 2021 and he was the 2022 Cape Cod Baseball League Player of the Year while with the Bourne Braves.

—Contact Jennifer Toland at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JenTolandTG.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: How are the locals doing at the Major League Baseball all-star break?