Despite the game having to go into extra innings, the Chicago White Sox won their home opener 5-4. Facing the reigning American League champions, the Toronto Blue Jays, a critical bunt by outfielder Derek Hill and a single by outfielder Tristan Peters sealed the victory.

More News: Chicago White Sox prospect’s performance may force a tough decision

The White Sox’s resilient win came on the heels of manager Will Venable saying his team “needed to be better.” The White Sox currently have a Major League-worst 2-5 record and had a terrible road trip (1-5) to begin the season.

TRISTAN. PETERS. pic.twitter.com/GaBlnobkNe

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 3, 2026

Sean Burke’s bounce-back performance was key for the Chicago White Sox to win

Sean Burke’s first outing against the Milwaukee Brewers didn’t go well. He allowed seven hits, four runs (three earned), walked one, and struck out five in 4.0 innings. However, Burke showed some growth pitching against the Blue Jays. Burke told reporters postgame that he’s “trying to stay on my plan.”

“I think it’s been big,” Burke said to the media postgame. “I think that this year, just trying to stay on my plan and continuing to attack hitters and not let a couple hits or whatever it might be rattle me, and just trying to continue to flood the zone and make good pitches every single time out, I think the focus component, just being super, super focused on what I want to do with each pitch, and just being intentful behind it has been helpful.”

The 26-year-old threw six strong innings, allowing one run (earned), walking none, and striking out seven. Burke pitched behind right-hander Grant Taylor, who was the opener.

Right-handers Jordan Leasure and Seranthony Dominguez and left-hander Sean Newcomb also pitched well following Burke. Combined, all three went 3.0 innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs (three total), walked one, and struck out three. 

According to ESPN, Taylor is the probable pitcher for Game 2 on Saturday. Left-hander Anthony Kay will likely be the “bulk” guy. Kay is also coming off a tough outing against the Brewers — Kay went 4.2 innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, four walks, and struck out five on 92 pitches.

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The Chicago White Sox are hoping the 2026 sees them take another massive step forward in their rebuild. After winning just 41 games in 2024, they won 60 in 2025. And while a 60-102 season is still dismal, the fact of the matter is that they proved they are heading in the right direction.

The 2026 White Sox are going to have growing pains. Such is the case with every team that boasts numerous young players in its lineup. That being said, they also have more talent in their organization than they did even a few months ago, and the future is looking bright in Chicago.

The Chicago White Sox have named their Opening Day starting rotation

Not long ago, the White Sox revealed that 2025 AL All-Star Shane Smith will be their ace and Opening Day starting pitcher. On Tuesday, they announced the rest of their starting rotation:

White Sox manager Will Venable announced the team’s season-opening starting rotation: Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin and Erick Fedde.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) March 17, 2026

Below are Chicago’s initial five-man starting rotation and their stats from 2025.

Shane Smith

29 starts, 7-8, 3.82 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 145 strikeouts, 146.1 innings

Sean Burke

28 games (22 starts), 4-11, 4.22 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 133 strikeouts, 134.1 innings

Anthony Kay

16 games (zero starts), 0-0, 6.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 11 strikeouts, 14.1 innings (pitched for New York Mets and Chicago Cubs)

Davis Martin

26 games (25 starts), 7-10, 4.10 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 104 striketouts, 142.2 innings

Erick Fedde

32 games (24 starts), 4-13, 5.49 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 83 strikeouts, 147.0 innings (pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers; also threw a shutout early in 2025 with the Cardinals)

On the surface, this rotation leaves much to be desired. However, it is just the beginning of what is sure to be a starting group filled with young talent as soon as it develops.

Hopefully this group can help the White Sox see another large step forward in 2026.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• This White Sox player apparently already made the Opening Day roster
• Hagen Smith threw new pitch in White Sox game 2-3 days after learning it
• WBC: Italy makes last minute starting pitcher swap vs Venezuela

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago White Sox, up until last night’s drubbing, had been playing good baseball, playing .500 baseball in the past ten games (5-5). Last night’s 10-2 loss to the Houston Astros was only the White Sox’s second loss in their past six ball games.

The White Sox’s recent success can be attributed to their prospects, who are performing and showing that there will be good times ahead. Other White Sox prospects, like right-hander Sean Burke, started to make a name for himself last season and came into this year looking to replicate his success from last year in his handful of starts.

Burke has not performed to the level the Chicago White Sox would’ve hoped

Burke, a 25-year-old former third-round pick of the White Sox back in the 2021 MLB Draft, enters his first season as a big leaguer after appearing in four games (three starts) last season. So far in 14 games (12 starts), Burke has not been able to repeat his success from last year, when he had a 1.42 ERA. This season has seen Burke pitch to a 3-7 record, with a 4.71 ERA, and a 1.443 WHIP in 70.2 innings.

The White Sox had named Burke their Opening Day starter, winning the honor by pitching well during the spring and beating out the likes of Davis Martin, Martín Pérez, and Jonathan Cannon. Burke looked great in his first start, which came on March 27, with him pitching six scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels.

Burke’s first start would prove to be his only successful outing, as for the entire month of April, he would not collect a win, going 0-4, allowing 18 earned runs, and giving up seven home runs in 21.0 innings. May would be a bounce-back month for the University of Maryland product, where he went 2-2 and significantly cut back on allowing the long ball, allowing only two for the entire month.

However, it appears that the Burke who showed up in April is back again in June, as Burke is 0-1 with a 7.59 ERA, and his outing last night versus the Tigers was his worst, as he only lasted 3.2 innings, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits. His advanced metrics aren’t even worth speaking about, as his Baseball Savant page is blue throughout, with the only red coming in the extension category, where he ranks in the 92nd percentile.

Burke could benefit from some time in Charlotte

The White Sox need pitching, particularly starting pitching, but having Burke be so hit or miss is not helping them, especially when there is some excitement surrounding the team. The White Sox have a solid group of young position players, with a few pitching prospects who could be top-tier starters in the game.

Burke does have decent upside, but he and the White Sox could benefit from him getting optioned down to Charlotte for a few starts so he can work on mechanical adjustments and get himself right. Jonathan Cannon is currently on the injured list, dealing with a lower back strain, and is slowly progressing, with Manager Will Venable saying he’s trending in the right direction, per MLB.com.

Cannon will likely require a rehab assignment since he’ll miss a good chunk of time and will need to get going again, but once back, someone will have to be optioned or designated for assignment, and Burke could be on that list to take a trip back down to the minor leagues.

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The Chicago Cubs are teetering on the brink of disaster.

That’s not exactly the expected opening line of an article about a first place team not far removed from a gloriously one-sided victory and riding high on a wave of excitement.

It’s the truth, though.

The disaster in question refers to the Cubs’ starting rotation, which is holding up remarkably well, despite currently missing it’s top two arms and a solid back-of-rotation piece.

With Justin Steele out for the season after elbow surgery, Shota Imanaga out with a tricky hamstring injury, and Javier Assad gone until mid-season with his ongoing oblique issues, the team is missing 60% of its projected rotation.

Tough Days Ahead, A Trade Must Be Made

While Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea have stepped up to assume the ace roles of Steele and Imanaga– for now– and the offense has helped to overcome uneven performances from the rest of the rotation, eventually the team will feel the strain of not having a full starting five.

The season is long and grueling and the Cubs will need to add at least one full-time, front-of-rotation arm for what they hope to be a playoff run. So, it’ll be necessary to make some sort of trade by the deadline to shore things up.

That’s why the Cubs should be looking at this current White Sox series, almost as if they were browsing a catalog for shopping ideas.

Shopping For Sox?

The last place White Sox bring with them a bevy of talented young arms and a significantly less impressive crew of position players. As a matter of fact, at the moment, their entire starting rotation is made up of 20-something talent.

And not only are the White Sox stacked with young arms at the major league level, they are also packed with pitching prospects in the minors, with four of their top ten prospects listed as pitchers.

It might be wise for the Cubs front office to give the Sox front office a jingle and have some conversations about a swap of young assets.

The Cubs organization is top-heavy with talented position players, but not so much with high-end pitching prospects, other than Cade Horton, who’s currently struggling to get acclimated in the majors.

Jed Hoyer and the Cubs crew could target Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin, or, to a much lesser degree, the more well-weathered free agent Bryse Wilson. Free agent acquisition Martin Perez had been mentioned previously as a potential Cubs trade target, but he’s currently dealing with elbow issues on the 60-day injured list.

The Chicago Cubs And Chicago Whites Sox: Ideal Trade Partners?

In the past, deals between the crosstown rivals were considered difficult to make because of their rivalry. That’s just not the case anymore. The two Chicago teams are in very different situations right now and in possession of a good quantity of trade capital to help push them where they need to be.

The Cubs need majors-ready pitching. They need someone who can step into the starting rotation right now and deliver solid results every fifth game.

Given their frugal, budget-conscious mindset, they’d also really, really enjoy getting someone on the cheap with several controllable years ahead of them. Throwing trade capital around for names such as Sandy Alcantara and Tyler Anderson may be showier and generate a greater splash, but that’s not generally the “Cubs way” of doing things.

The White Sox, meanwhile, are in full rebuild mode and are stockpiling talent for a complete franchise turnaround in the not-too-distant future. They are also overloaded with pitching, not only sporting a good crew of young arms in the majors, but also in the minors, where they currently have, per MLB.com, the top two left-handed pitching prospects in all of baseball, Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith.

Could the Cubs entice the Sox with prospects such as Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcantara, and/or James Triantos?

Honestly, it’s possible that the Sox feel themselves so deep in prospects that they wouldn’t really want anyone from the Cubs.

But it certainly would make a lot of sense for the Cubs to try and grab at a South Side arm or two.

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The Chicago White Sox are one of the clear-cut worst teams in all of Major League Baseball and are competing with the Colorado Rockies for the worst team in baseball for this season. The White Sox, thankfully, added more offense to their lineup by trading for Gage Workman, who came over from the Chicago Cubs after being designated for assignment.

Adding Workman is a nice addition for a team that sits dead last in team batting average (.209), but the White Sox also need to find some starting pitching, given the recent injury to Martín Pérez, who will miss the rest of this season. The White Sox have a few options they can turn to internally, but they’ve decided to opt for an unusual method of filling Pérez’s spot, which won’t last and adds insult to injury.

Chicago White Sox implementing an interesting pitching strategy

We’re not at the end of April, and the White Sox appear to have given up on their starting pitchers, with today being the third straight game of the White Sox using an opener. MLB.com’s Scott Merkin has reported that the White Sox will start left-hander Brandon Eisert and Davis Martin who will come in relief after him.

“Brandon Eisert will be the White Sox opener tomorrow followed by Davis Martin, per the team”

Brandon Eisert will be the White Sox opener tomorrow followed by Davis Martin, per the team

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) April 27, 2025

Eisert has ten career starts at the minor league level and none at the major league level, so today will be his first-ever start at the major league level. Eisert, 27, has seen time at Triple-A and the big leagues this season. Eisert has seen more time at the big league level, with injuries and the bullpen being one of the weaknesses this season.

Tyler Gilbert started the previous two games for the White Sox and Sean Burke and Jonathan Cannon came in relief after his one inning of work. In total, Gilbert gave the White Sox 2.0 innings pitched, allowing one hit, striking out three, and walking one without allowing an earned run.

Why it makes no sense to use an opener

For the White Sox to use an opener at this point in the season is, to put it mildly, a joke. The White Sox are bad, but they don’t need to add to that by using an opener and not allowing guys like Burke, Cannon, or Martin to gain experience as starters. In the case of Martin, not getting him reps as a start will affect his trade value, which the Sox can ill afford to mess with given the injury to Pérez.

There’s no value in Burke or Cannon not getting reps as a starter since this is their second year in the big leagues and they need the experience. If the White Sox are trying to build up Gilbert to get more innings as a starter since they need a lefty in the rotation, this is not the way to do it.

Brsye Wilson is in the bullpen and could be utilized in a piggyback role until Gilbert is ready to go deeper into ballgames. The White Sox also have Jairo Iriarte and Nick Nastrini, who are on the 40-man and down at Triple-A and could be an option as well.

These guys could provide the White Sox with the innings they need to cover until Noah Schultz or Hagen Smith are ready to get the call to the big leagues. Nevertheless, using an opener doesn’t need to happen, especially with the White Sox only playing 27 games this season.

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The Chicago White Sox have done well to start the season playing good baseball against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Sox offense exploded for eight runs in the second game of the series, where the Sox had three home runs, which was started by leftfielder Andrew Benintendi.

The White Sox have done well to start the year on the backs of their starting pitching, which has been solid and could be one of the better things about this team for this season.

Chicago White Sox starting pitchers steal the show

The adage that having great starting pitching helps a team win or stay in a ball game rang true in this series for the White Sox.

The Sox’s top three arms in the rotation, Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, and Davis Martin combined to throw 17.0 innings, allowing 11 hits, five walks, striking out 10, and not allowing an earned run, per Just Baseball.

White Sox starting pitchers against the Angels this series:

17 IP
11 H
0 ER
5 BB
10 K pic.twitter.com/N3GkUChJAi

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) March 30, 2025

The best performer of the bunch was the White Sox Opening Day starter, Sean Burke. Burke pitched 6.0 innings, allowing three hits, striking out three, and walking nobody to get his first win of the year.

Martin was the second-best in the series, going the same amount of innings as Burke, but walked two and struck out two. Martin flashed his new kick-change in this outing, which looked filthy.

“Davis Martin, Filthy 93mph Kick Change.”

Davis Martin, Filthy 93mph Kick Change. pic.twitter.com/QDPFv7GcLL

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 30, 2025

A sign of good things to come?

This strong start by the White Sox’s starting pitching could be a sign of good things to come and prove that their strongest asset will be their starting pitching depth.

The Sox have plenty of depth in their starting pitching, with three of their top prospects highlighting the pitching staff for the Birmingham Barons.

If the White Sox are to be successful, they’ll need their starters to remain healthy for one but two continue their dominance, and keep them in ball games.

The White Sox will welcome the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series with left-hander Martín Pérez making his White Sox debut and squaring off against Twins right-hander Chris Paddack.

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Baseball is finally back, and the Chicago White Sox will take the field to hopefully add at least ten wins to their season total this year.

The White Sox will take on Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels, with Sean Burke taking the mound for the Sox, while the Angels will throw Yusei Kikuchi for game one.

To pull off a win today against the Halos, the White Sox will have to do a couple of things to do so.

What do the Chicago White Sox need to do to get a win?

The White Sox will look to not start the season off on the wrong foot and will look to try and take 2/3 from the Angels. For the White Sox to do that and win today, they’ll need a patient approach at the plate.

The White Sox last season were dead last in walks for the season (395) and the middle of the pack (14th) for strikeouts (1403). These two team stats helped contribute to the Sox’s grueling season, where they set the all-time loss record.

Having a patient approach against Kikuchi will help the Sox have success.

Kikuchi is a strike-thrower and fills up the zone season, posting a first-pitch strike percentage from last season of 65.5%, which is the highest for his career.

Sitting on Kikuchi’s fastball and cutter will be key, as those are the pitches he uses the most. Kikuchi throws his four-seamer 47% of the time and his cutter, which he changed from a slider after joining the Astros 24% of the time.

Kikuchi does have a curveball (17.9%) and a changeup (11.1%) that he’ll throw to give hitters another look, but he’s mainly a fastball/cutter pitcher.

The challenge will be the bullpen

If the White Sox can have a patient approach at the plate and run up Kikuchi’s pitch count, it should work in their favor to eke out a win.

The real challenge the White Sox will have will be the Angels bullpen.

The Angels have two dominant relievers, Kenley Jansen and Ben Joyce, who will get the Sox a fit.

Jansen is the active leader in saves (447) in Major League Baseball, and Joyce has one of the hardest fastballs in the game, topping at 104.5mph.

Getting out to an early lead will help the Sox not to face either Jansen or Joyce.

Baseball is back!!

Baseball is finally back on the South Side, and it’s a glorious feeling.

The White Sox will kick things off at 3:10 and hopefully get the W.

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The Chicago White Sox are just a day away from opening their 125th season in Major League Baseball when they play the Los Angeles Angels on Opening Day.

The Angels will feature three former White Sox, Nicky Lopez, Tim Anderson, and Yoán Moncada, returning to Chicago for the first time since leaving the team.

The return of these three should bring excitement to fans, and all should get a standing ovation upon their return.

Going up against the Angels on the mound will be three new White Sox, who will usher in a new era of White Sox baseball.

The Chicago White Sox announced their starters for the series

The White Sox have officially unveiled who will be heading to the mound for games two & three of the series, as right-hander Sean Burke got the nod to start on Opening Day. According to MLB.com Scott Merkin, the White Sox will throw Jonathan Cannon and Davis Martin for the second and third games.

“Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon and Davis Martin (also an extraordinary first-pitch catcher) officially will be starting for the White Sox against the Angels.”

Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon and Davis Martin (also an extraordinary first-pitch catcher) officially will be starting for the White Sox against the Angels.

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) March 25, 2025

A good spring by Martin, and Cannon needs to flush his

Martin was in the running with Burke, along with left-hander Martín Pérez, who the Sox signed to a one-year deal this offseason to give them a veteran presence in the rotation, given they lacked one.

Martin had a solid spring pitching, to a 1.00 ERA in three starts and striking out eight in 9.0 innings. This effort from Martin should’ve at least landed him as the number two, but being the third option is just as good.

Cannon had the complete opposite of success this spring as he struggled mightily. Cannon had a 10.32 ERA and went 0-3 in his four games started. He also allowed four home runs in 11.1 innings, which is high.

Hopefully, with the regular season starting tomorrow, Cannon can flush those struggles from his mind and start over.

The rest of the rotation

Filling out the White Sox rotation will be Pérez and another newcomer to the White Sox, Shane Smith, who the Sox picked in the Rule 5 Draft from the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

Pérez was also in the running to be the Opening Day starter after his impressive spring, where he went 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 16.0 innings.

Smith was also impressive this spring, having a 3.38 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 10.2 innings, four starts. The separator for Smith from everyone else was his stuff, with having a fastball that can reach triple digits, which he flashed against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Fun times ahead for the Sox

The Sox will likely be one of the worst teams in baseball again this year, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to be excited about for this season.

This season will feature the White Sox showing off their prospects, who will be the future and bring with them the success the team had not too long ago.

Hopefully, the White Sox can start the year off on the right foot and take 2/3 from the Angels.

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The Chicago White Sox are preparing for the regular season, which starts on March 27, when they take on the Los Angeles Angels.

To get there, the White Sox have a few more cuts to make, which they did by granting Joey Gallo his release.

The White Sox also dropped some more news today, announcing who the Opening Day starter will be for their March 27 game against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Chicago White Sox announce Opening Day starter

The White Sox finally announced who will start for them on Opening Day, giving right-hander Sean Burke the nod.

“On the bump for Opening Day”

On the bump for Opening Day pic.twitter.com/TTny1OujpQ

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 16, 2025

Will Venable told reporters why he made Burke the starter for Opening Day, citing his strong spring training.

Sean Burke is the Opening Day starter, Venable announced pic.twitter.com/9GU4OFN8sN

— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) March 16, 2025

The running to be the starter on Opening Day for the White Sox was supposed to be between Martín Pérez, Davis Martin, or Jonathan Cannon, but naming Burke was on nobody’s bingo card. Burke was already a member of the starting rotation, but getting the nod for Opening Day is an accomplishment.

A strong performance for Burke

Burke did have a strong spring, posting a 4.15 ERA in three outings while striking out six in 8.2 innings. This comes off Burkes’s impressive showing in four games last season, where he had a 1.42 ERA in 19.0 innings.

the moment Burke got the news pic.twitter.com/4RNugfzYAZ

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 16, 2025

Burke can be a middle-of-the-rotation arm for the Sox, and this honor could help boost his confidence and help unlock his potential.

Starting the season

Burke now has the duties of being the White Sox’s number-one starter with this honor and will hopefully take it in stride.

The Angels will be a good test for Burke to start things off, with them set to be one of the more average teams in the American League this year.

Hopefully, Burke can start things off on the right foot get a win for the Sox, and get them on a nice roll to start the year.

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The Chicago White Sox finally got their first win when they beat the Cleveland Guardians by a score of 4-2.

The only saving grace for the White Sox will be the countless number of prospects coming down the pipeline, who all have the potential to be stars in the league.

The most intriguing completion the White Sox have going on in camp is who will fill the final spots of the rotation.

One pitcher is eyeing a spot in the Chicago White Sox rotation

The White Sox have two spots open in their rotation after manager Will Venable stated that Martín Pérez, Davis Martin, and Jonathan Cannon will occupy the first three spots. Two pitchers are vying for the fourth and fifth spots in Bryse Wilson and Sean Burke, with Burke looking like he will seize the opportunity.

Burke comes into this season looking to show he’s a legitimate big-league starter after having an impressive few appearances last season. The 25-year-old missed most of last season after going down with rotator cuff tendinitis in 2023.

Burke was impressive in his four appearances last season, with three coming as starts. The Worcester, MA native pitched to a 2-0 record with a 1.42 ERA in 19.0 innings.

Burke attacks hitters with a mid-90s fastball and has a nasty curveball he uses to get hitters out. Five of Burkers 22 strikeouts came off the curveball, with collecting five. The University of Maryland product also features a slider and a changeup that sits around 86mph.

Burke was stellar in his first outing, throwing 2.0 innings, allowing one hit, striking out two, and walking one batter.

Sean Burke made his Spring debut!

Burke is a popular breakout pick this season, and he showed off why today. His stuff is great and there is a clear opening in the White Sox rotation

Also, is that a new sinker? pic.twitter.com/MzjPJxB7zn

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) February 26, 2025

A potential rotational piece

If Burke can continue this approach, he could find himself in the White Sox rotation come Opening Day.

Burke has a lot of talent, and with the White Sox entering the second year of their rebuild, he could be a future piece to build around.

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The Chicago White Sox are still looking to add to their pitching depth, and they appear to have some interest in veteran starting pitcher Jakob Junis.

The Chicago White Sox have been busy the past few days with capturing headlines with making some minor moves on both the trade market as well as signing a semi-big named free agent. The Chicago White Sox kicked things off with acquiring left-handed starting pitcher Tyler Gilbert in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies which sent them 23-year-old right-handed reliever Aaron Combs. They then went out and signed veteran utility-man Josh Rojas to a one-year deal to compete for their starting third base job. The White Sox now appear to be interesting in signing an intriguing pitcher in right-hander Jakob Junis according to James Fox of FutureSox.

The career of Jakob Junis

Jakob Junis would be considered in the game of baseball a journeyman playing for four different teams in his short eight-year career playing for the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and the Milwaukee Brewers. Having both started and being used as a reliever in his career Junis has been a solid Major League pitcher overall, accumulating a record of 42-45 with a career ERA of 4.48 in 780.1 career innings.

In 2024 Jakob Junis was used primarily as a reliever for both the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers with making a total of just six starts. Signing a free agent deal with the Milwaukee Brewers in February of last year and then was subsequently traded along with outfielder Joey Wiemer and cash to the Cincinnati Red in exchange for starting pitcher Frankie Montas. For both the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers last season Junis, whether it came as a starter or in relief was exceptional having a record of 4-0 with an ERA of 2.69, with 51 strikeouts, a .851 WHIP, in 67 innings pitched.

The Chicago White Sox would be getting a valuable player in Jakob Junis

For the Chicago White Sox signing the 32-year-old Jakob Junis would prove to be a savvy signing for General Manager Christopher Getz to make. With Junis having experience as both a starter and reliever and having success in both roles signing Junis would give the Chicago White Sox a legit trade chip for next year’s deadline. The best quality that Junis has in his arsenal is the ability to throw strikes, with ranking in the 99th percentile for walk percentage with 3.2. Having a five-pitch mix in his arsenal, but mainly being a sinker/slider guy, Junis also has a four-seam fastball, a changeup, and a cutter at his disposal to get opposing hitters out.

The White Sox still do currently have an open position in the starting rotation with Jonathon Cannon, Sean Burke, Bryse Wilson, and Drew Thorpe all having the 1-4 spots already locked in. With the recent acquisition of Tyler Gilbert, he will figure to be the most likely candidate the fifth spot in the White Sox rotation being they currently do not have a lefty option there.

However, if the Junis were to lose out on a bid for the starting rotation, having him as a go to option in the bullpen for high-leverage moments given he’s had success in those moments. With the White Sox bullpen being relatively young and somewhat inexperience having Jakob Junis’s experience there to help mentor some of the young arms is an invaluable asset.

With nothing concrete and no actual reports emerging other than the Chicago White Sox just showing their “interest” in Jakob Junis. Though this is just speculation, if these rumors became credible and the Chicago White Sox indeed land Jakob Junis in a free agent deal, that that wouldn’t a bad deal for them to make.

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Former Chicago White Sox top prospect right-handed pitcher Sean Burke is predicted to have a breakout season in 2025.

The Chicago White Sox will most likely finish the 2025 season at the bottom of the American League Central standings again for the second straight year and possibly be one of the worst teams in all of baseball. However, even though the White Sox as a whole may be bad, some individual players may find success and stand out amongst the others and have their own breakout seasons. One of those players predicted to have a breakout season is top prospect Sean Burke. 

Sean Burke

The 25-year-old Burke was drafted by the White Sox in the third round of the 2021 June MLB Amateur Draft out of the University of Maryland. Making his Major League debut with the White Sox on September 10th, 2024 in which he allowed one unearned run in three innings of work against divisional rival the Cleveland Guardians, Burke has a lot to prove in what will be his sophomore season in the Major Leagues.

What’s the Plan for Burke in 2025?

Spending most of his season last year down in the minor leagues after dealing with rotator cuff tendinitis last season which severely limited Burke in 2023 and for some parts of 2024. Burke ended up making his return sometime around May of last year. Upon his return to Triple-A, Burke made 16 starts where he went 2-6 with a 4.62 ERA, with 86 strikeout, holding opposing batters to a .199 average, in 64.1 innings pitched. right-hander Sean Burke is an interesting case for the starting rotation coming into 2025.

Having a decent showing in his appearances during his stint at Triple-A the White Sox calling up Sean Burke to the big leagues on September 10th, replacing fellow right-handed Nick Nastrini on the roster who the Chicago White Sox optioned to Triple-A.

When Burke got called up to the big leagues, he he made three starts (four games total), 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA, collecting 22 strikeouts, having a 1.000 WHIP, in 19.0 innings pitched. Not bad for another rookie who looks to replicate, or at the very least get near those numbers in 2025, Burke figures to be vying for the fourth or fifth spots in the rotation with the upside of being solid number three option at some point.

Burke has the standard four pitch repertoire of a fastball that can reach up to 97, as well as having a slider, curveball (he uses a knuckle-curve), and a changeup giving Burke a solid pitch mix. The one knack on Burke is his ability to throw strikes which could cause a problem for him if he wants to be a consistent everyday starter. In order for Burke to have success he will need to show the ability to throw consistent strikes, and if he does than he figures to be a solid middle of the rotation piece.

If Burke can replicate what he did when he first came up with flashing how dominant he can be, then that would be a step in the right direction for his development. All Sean Burke needs to do to find success is to be able to replicate his delivery and throw consistent strikes, if he can do that then the Chicago White Sox have a really good starting pitcher on their hands. If for some reason Sean Burke can do that consistently and doesn’t pan out as a starter, then the Chicago White Sox could potentially look to flip him in a trade, or at the very least have a very solid multi-inning reliever on their hands.

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The Chicago White Sox have a good foundation with the young core they currently have in their starting rotation for 2025 as well as a solid group of prospects coming down the pipeline.

Even though the Chicago White Sox had a disaster of 2024 season the outlook for the future is actually kind of bright with all the young talent the White Sox have coming. The one area where the White Sox are plentiful in with their youth is their pitching. Currently the pitching staff that the White Sox will have for 2025 will be anchored by a group of three young arms that will be entering only their second year in the Major Leagues. Those young pitchers are Jonathan Cannon, Drew Thorpe, and Sean Burke.

Jonathan Cannon

Jonathan Cannon according to FanGraphs is set to be the anchor of the starting rotation for 2025. The 24-year-old Cannon had a decent freshman campaign for the Chicago White Sox in which he started 21 games (appeared in 23), had a record of 5-10 with a 4.49 ERA, 91 strikeouts, had a WHIP of 1.327, in 124.1 innings pitched. Given that the White Sox were the worst team in baseball and ranked at or near the bottom of every offensive category this was an impressive showing by Jonathan Cannon.

Cannon has an impressive five pitch mix in which he has a four-seam fastball, a sweeper, a cutter, a changeup, and a sinker. The key to Cannon having success in 2025 and what the White Sox will need if he will in fact be their number one guy, is to be able to locate his sinker east and west against hitters getting them off his four-seam fastball. Given that his four-seamer tops out at 93.6 mph according to Baseball Savant Cannon being able to work is off-speed and breaking pitches off his sinker, with occasionally using his four-seamer up in the zone to change the hitters eye level will be vital to his success in 2025.

Drew Thorpe

The 24-year-old Drew Thorpe is another guy the Chicago White Sox need to take a big step forward in 2025 for them to have success. Thorpe, who was Drafted by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Thorpe was traded by the New York Yankees with Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Michael King and Randy Vásquez to the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto deal which also netted the Padres Trent Grisham. Thorpe was then acquired by the Chicago White Sox when the sent Dylan Cease to the Padres in exchange for Thorpe as well as Samuel Zavala (minors), Jairo Iriarte and Steven Wilson.

Thorpe for his efforts did okay in for his first year in the big leagues. Starting nine games in which he logged 44.1 innings pitched, with a record of 3-3 with a 5.48 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and a 1.263 WHIP. Thorpe who is another five pitch mix guy is primarily a fastball/changeup guy utilizing both at a 35.5% (changeup) and 32.2% (fastball) clip respectively. As well as having a slider and cutter in which he uses both at the same amount (roughly 15%) with a sweeper in which he uses as a “show-me” pitch Thorpe has a solid array of pitches.

The key to Thorpe having success in 2025 is to be able to work down in the zone with both his four-seam fastball and his cutter that way he can effectively use his changeup off them as his strikeout pitch. I think if Thorpe also gets more comfortable with his sweeper and makes that into his primary breaking pitch instead of his slider, I think he will find success.

Sean Burke

Sean Burke is an interesting case for the starting rotation coming into 2025. Having a really good showing in his appearances in the big leagues in which he made three starts (four games total), Burke went 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA, collecting 22 strikeouts, having a 1.000 WHIP, in 19.0 innings pitched. Not bad for another rookie who looks to replicate, or at the very least get near those numbers in 2025, Burke figures to be a solid number three option for the Chicago White Sox in 2025.

Burke has the standard four pitch repertoire of a fastball that can reach up to 97, as well as having a slider, curveball (he uses a knuckle-curve), and a changeup giving Burke a solid pitch mix. The one knack on Burke is his ability to throw strikes which could cause a problem for him if he wants to be a consistent everyday starter. In order for Burke to have success he will need to show the ability to throw consistent strikes, and he does he figures to be a solid middle of the rotation piece. If not, then the Chicago White Sox have a solid multi-inning reliever on their hands.

Prospects in the Pipeline

I already wrote a piece detailing both prospects Hagen Smith (#3) and Noah Schultz (#1), so I’ll link that here. Both Smith and Schultz figure to start in Triple-A to start the season and if both find success than they will not have a hard time finding their way into the rotation by either May or June of next year.

Jairo Iriarte (Number 7 overall Prospect)

Iriarte was also acquired in the Dylan Cease trade along with fellow pitcher Drew Thorpe. Iriarte had just a cup of coffee with the Chicago White Sox in 2024 appearing in relief for just six games where he threw just 6 innings where he had a 1.50 ERA. Iriarte

With a fastball that can reach a 100 mile-per-hour and having a devasting breaking ball with a decent changeup Iriarte does figure to be a solid middle of the rotation piece if he can master controlling his pitches. Having a bad strike/ball ratio in which he threw more balls (26.7%) than he did strikes (20.0%) it’s crucial that Iriarte finds his command if he wants to be a starter at the least a late inning reliever with his level of stuff.

Wikelman Gonzalez (Number 14 overall prospect)

Acquired in the Garrett Crochet deal Gonzalez having a fastball that grade out at a 60/80 and having a mix of a curveball, slider, and a changeup Gonzalez figures to be a top of the rotation like starter if he can figure it out. Gonzales biggest problem is being able to repeat his delivery in order to have his plus stuff be effective. If he can figure out how to do that than the Chicago White Sox have a solid number two to even a possibly ace on their hands for the future.

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