Sean Burroughs

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #1 prospect in 2002
  Burroughs entered 2001 with the reputation as the best pure hitter in the minor leagues. He led Long Beach to consecutive Little League World Series titles in 1992-93 and in 2000, his second pro season, he was named MVP of the Futures Game and won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team. The only thing missing from his résumé was adversity, but he got his first dose last April. Burroughs was batting .328 at Triple-A Portland despite a sore right knee, which proved to be a torn meniscus that required surgery. Sidelined for a month, Burroughs returned and hit like he always had. Managers rated him the best prospect in the Pacific Coast League. Burroughs is a career .327 hitter in the minors despite being young for his league each year. The Padres are excited about 2001 first-round pick Jake Gautreau, another gifted offensive player--and Gautreau is 10 months older than Burroughs, who's on the verge of the major leagues. He has a picture-perfect swing, a quick bat and an uncanny sense of the strike zone, with more walks than whiffs as a pro. He isn't troubled by lefthanders, against whom he batted .349 last year. He works hard and makes adjustments easily when needed. His instincts are another asset, no surprise considering he's the son of former No. 1 overall pick and American League MVP Jeff Burroughs. Sean has soft hands and a strong, accurate arm at third base. His power potential has yet to manifest itself. He has just 17 homers in 340 pro games. He has started to look for specific pitches to drive, depending on the situation, and projects to hit 25-30 homers annually once he gets acclimated to the major leagues. His speed is his worst tool, though he runs the bases well and makes the plays at third base. San Diego has an impressive array of talent at third base, and there's still some thought that Burroughs could play second. The Padres would rather just get his bat in the lineup, so all-star Phil Nevin will move to first base and Ryan Klesko will shift to the outfield in order to open third for Burroughs. He is a prime 2002 Rookie of the Year candidate and a batting champion waiting to happen.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #1 prospect in 2001
  Burroughs has been in the spotlight since he was 11, when he led a Long Beach team coached by his father, former No. 1 overall draft pick and American League MVP Jeff Burroughs, to the 1992 Little League World Series title. Long Beach became the first U.S. team to repeat as champions in 1993, when Sean was named MVP after throwing two 16-strikeout no-hitters and batting .600. He added another world championship in 2000 as a member of the U.S. Olympic team, hitting .375 in limited action as manager Tommy Lasorda inexplicably played Orioles journeyman Mike Kinkade ahead of him. Earlier in the year, Burroughs was MVP of the Futures Game in Atlanta after going 3-for-4 with a key defensive play. The Padres have been aggressive with Burroughs, letting him make his pro debut in full-season Class A and playing him in Double-A last season as a teenager. He has responded to every challenge. Burroughs is the best pure hitter in the minor leagues. Despite being much younger than his opposition, he has batted .329 as a pro. More impressive, he has walked more times (135) than he has struck out (107). He has a tremendous understanding of the strike zone, reaching base in 57 consecutive games in 1999-2000. Much has been made of Burroughs' paltry total of eight homers in 236 pro games, but he'll be an above-average power hitter at the major league level. It's typical for young lefthanded hitters to drive the ball to the middle of the ballpark, with home run power the last thing to develop. Burroughs has the bat speed and the approach to drive the ball out of the park as he gets more experience and learns to turn on pitches. He's not a one-dimensional player, either. He has above-average arm strength and hands at third base. He improved his footwork in 2000, cutting down his errors to 16 after making 37 the year before. Power is Burroughs' most obvious shortcoming at this point, but it will come. The only thing he's not going to do as a big leaguer is impress anyone with his speed on the bases. He has been caught stealing in 24 of his 47 pro attempts. There has been talk that if the Padres trade Phil Nevin, their most marketable major leaguer, then Burroughs could be their Opening Day starter at the hot corner. While he probably wouldn't be scarred by the experience, Burroughs also isn't ready to offer big league power for his position. He'll be better off spending most of the year at Triple-A Portland. Regardless, he's a future batting champion and an all-star for years to come.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #6 prospect in 1999
  Background: Burroughs has been in the national spotlight for most of his life, both as the star of the Long Beach teams that won the 1992 and 1993 Little League World Series, and as the son of 1974 American League MVP and 1969 No. 1 overall draft pick Jeff Burroughs. Strengths: Scouts considered Burroughs the top high school hitting prospect in the country last spring. He has a smooth, natural stroke that projects both power and average. Burroughs is also a surprisingly good fielder with above-average hands, a strong arm and quick feet. There has been conjecture that Burroughs could play second base, thus enhancing his offensive value, but the Padres have no current plans to try him at that position. Weaknesses: While Burroughs has quick feet in the field, he is not nearly as fast underway and won't be a threat on the bases. The Future: The Padres were disappointed Burroughs held out all summer. Burroughs' advanced bat still may insure that he starts 1999 in a full-season Class A league.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #6 prospect in 2002
  No. 1 on this list a year ago, Burroughs was handed San Diego's third-base job and couldn't hold it. He hit .221 before going on the disabled list at the end of May with a sprained shoulder, and was sent to Portland when he healed six weeks later. Burroughs hit like he always has in the minors, stroking line drives all over the field and controlling the strike zone. But he didn't erase the questions about his long-term power by homering just twice in 50 games. One scout said Burroughs looked like he was trying to create power and hurt his swing. Playing second base for the first time as a pro, Burroughs didn't embarrass himself but looked a little stiff and lacked range. One manager was blunt when assessing Blalock or Burroughs at second: "If they play second base in the big leagues, then baseball has gone to hell. It's slow-pitch softball then."
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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #1 prospect in 2001
  Regarded as the best hitting prospect in the minors coming into the season, Burroughs did nothing to diminish that reputation. He was consistent throughout the year in spite of his injury, going as many as three games without a hit only once. And as he has been throughout his career, he again was one of the youngest players at his level. Burroughs showed his same strong approach at the plate, though for the first time in his career he struck out more than he walked. He continued to display outstanding control of the strike zone and a great swing and bat speed. His defense and arm at third base, on top of his offensive talent, should keep him at the hot corner despite the Padres organization's logjam at the position. His own manager, Portland's Rick Sweet, called him a potential Hall of Famer and said Burroughs could adapt to a change in position if needed. "Everything in baseball is in pencil and not ink," Sweet said. "I told Sean that all year: 'It better be in pencil because you know I'm going to change it.' That's the way baseball works." The only knock on Burroughs has been his power, and that has started to emerge. He surpassed his previous career home run total with nine in 394 at-bats this season.
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  Ranked Southern League #5 prospect in 2000
  Though Joe Crede won the MVP and is ranked one spot ahead of him, Burroughs might have an even brighter future. He has been pushed as rapidly as Patterson--and Burroughs is a full year younger. At age 19, Burroughs hit .291 with more walks than strikeouts in Double-A. He clearly is a gifted hitter. The MVP of the midseason Futures Game hit just two homers in 2000 and has just eight in his two pro seasons, but few doubt that he'll hit for power in a few years. Burroughs, the son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs, also gets the job done with his glove. He has a strong arm, soft hands and quick feet.
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  Ranked Midwest League #3 prospect in 1999
  Burroughs started the season slowly, hitting .268 in April and .228 in May. He was hitting .242 on June 2 and then started to catch fire. Burroughs challenged for the batting title by hitting .359 in June, .426 in July and a remarkable .452 in August. He finished second in the batting race. Even during his slow start at the plate, Burroughs impressed scouts with his cannon arm at third base. He was the most advanced hitter in the league despite his tender age and finished the season on a tear in the California League. "I like the whole package," West Michigan manager Bruce Fields said. "He has a great arm. He had an outstanding season. It says a lot for an 18-year-old to challenge for the batting title."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #4 prospect in 2002
• Ranked Baseball America's #6 prospect in 2001
• Ranked Baseball America's #7 prospect in 2000
• Ranked Baseball America's #82 prospect in 1999

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Though Joe Crede won the MVP and is ranked one spot ahead of him, Burroughs might have an even brighter future. He has been pushed as rapidly as Patterson--and Burroughs is a full year younger. At age 19, Burroughs hit .291 with more walks than strikeouts in Double-A. He clearly is a gifted hitter. The MVP of the midseason Futures Game hit just two homers in 2000 and has just eight in his two pro seasons, but few doubt that he'll hit for power in a few years. Burroughs, the son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs, also gets the job done with his glove. He has a strong arm, soft hands and quick feet.