SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Approaching the end of his third spring in the Padres' big-league camp, Sean Burroughs said he feels more relaxed than ever before.

In fact, Burroughs is so at ease that he had to rein in some recent comments on the subject.

"There's not as many doubts (about my play)," he said. "I don't have to go out every day and prove myself over and over again."

Burroughs paused briefly, but barely missed a beat before carefully qualifying his statement.

"I feel like I've already done that, but at the same time," he added, "I've only got a year and a half (of major-league service), so I've got to do it consistently for many years to come."

Perhaps nothing speaks to Burroughs' comfort level better than the fact that he sometimes forgets how new this major-league thing is to him. He'll enter the 2004 season as the Padres' third baseman and leadoff hitter, the third time in as many years the 23-year-old player has opened the season in San Diego but just the first following a complete year in the big leagues.

Because his 2002 season was derailed by a shoulder injury, he didn't get 200 at-bats in a season with the Padres until last summer. After hitting .286 with a .352 on-base percentage, 58 RBIs and 62 runs in 146 games, he's hoping to build on that with a solid campaign in his second full season.

Putting together two good seasons this early in his career could help the 1998 first-round draft pick shed the "potential" tag and cast him more in the light of teammates Phil Nevin and Ryan Klesko.

"I'd like to get up there around .300 and be closer to 400 in on-base percentage," Burroughs said. "If I do that, the other things will take care of themselves. The RBIs are there and the doubles. I'd like to get into double digits in home runs."

Said Nevin: "He got it pretty quick compared to a lot of guys that come up. He's somebody that's got it mentally.

"I don't see him having any kind of a fallback at all."

Nevin was referring to the dreaded "sophomore slump," which often brings hotshot first-year players back to earth when pitchers figure them out in their second season.

But Burroughs appears prepared to avoid that fate.

Part of Burroughs' confidence has to do with his ability to quickly learn pitchers and adjust to the variables each new ballpark presents, he said. It may also be related to his pedigree -- he's the son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs and has been around baseball all his life.

The mental grind was the toughest thing he dealt with last year, Burroughs said.

"I took something every day with me last year," he said. "I've got to realize this year that once the day is over -- it doesn't matter if you were 4-for-4 or 0-for-4 -- to throw it away and get ready for the next day.

"It's a long season. You can pound yourself down too much if you focus on the negatives."

Burroughs also said it has been easier for him to perform this spring without being under the constant spotlight that followed him earlier in his career.

Two springs ago, the Padres made it clear early on that Burroughs, a rookie, would start at third. That forced two all-stars -- Nevin and Klesko -- to switch positions, and it put Burroughs under intense scrutiny.

There were questions last year about how he would bounce back from a sprained right shoulder and a second half spent at Triple-A. This season, with all the news surrounding the Padres' offseason acquisitions and their move to Petco Park, Burroughs has existed in near anonymity.

"It's fun being under the radar -- I prefer it," Burroughs said. "This year, it's all been on the shoulders of Brian (Giles), Ryan, Phil and Trevor (Hoffman), guys that have gone to the playoffs and been on winning teams. I'm watching them and keeping a low profile."

That's something that could become harder and harder for Burroughs to do.

Contact staff writer Greg Ball at (909) 676-4315, Ext. 2629 or gball@nctimes.com.