The terms “starter” and “reliever” don’t mean much to the White Sox. The club has consistently employed openers and bulk pitchers in lieu of typical starters this season. season has been no different. Sean Burke made a somewhat normal start in the clincher against the Astros, but two quasi-starters came in after him (Anthony Kay, Erick Fedde). The other two games have followed the more typical all-hands-on-deck blueprint.
Fedde and Sean Newcomb are pending free agents. The rest of the hodgepodge pitching staff will be back next season. The group of potential starters includes Davis Martin, David Sandlin, and Noah Schultz, along with the aforementioned Burke. Trade deadline acquisition Luis Castillo will also be back in 2027. He hit the IL in the final week of the regular season, which helped the club avoid a decision on his status for the playoff roster.
The White Sox beat the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALDS. Their season is far from over, but they’re already getting hints about how the rotation could shake out next season. Two young arms are making a name for themselves on the biggest stage.
Grant Taylor just had his longest outing of the season. He pitched the final four innings to secure the save in Cleveland. The righty struck out six and allowed just two baserunners in a dominant performance.
Manager Will Venable has deployed Taylor in a flexible role this year. He’s been an opener, a closer, and everything in between. Taylor racked up 10 saves, 11 holds, and seven wins in his first full season in the big leagues. He posted a 2.25 ERA with a 31.5% strikeout rate over 84 innings. Regardless of the situation, Taylor has served as Venable’s most valuable arm.
“I don’t know what else to say about him,” Venable said after Saturday’s game (h/t Jon Greenberg of The Athletic). “He’s a beast out there. He wants the ball. His stuff is really good. I thought he actually got better as that outing went on.”
Taylor was a second-round pick in 2023. He’s been one of the top prospects in Chicago’s system. Injuries have been the issue. He had Tommy John surgery in college and has continued to miss time with various ailments since being drafted. The White Sox moved Taylor to the bullpen last season and expressed their commitment to keeping him in that role heading into 2026. The 84 frames were easily a career high as a pro. He’s continuing to add to the total in the playoffs. Moving Taylor to the rotation next season will require Chicago to keep bumping up Taylor’s workload.
Hagen Smith has “started” two of three playoff games so far. He cruised through three scoreless innings against the Astros in Game 1 of the Wild Card round. Chicago’s bullpen game went smoother than Houston’s, propelling them to a 1-0 series lead. Smith got the ball again to begin the ALDS. He held Cleveland scoreless over 2 2/3 frames. Smith lost the strike zone at the end of the outing, walking three straight, but Bryan Hudson escaped the jam.
Smith entered the season as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization. He posted mixed results as a starter at Triple-A, but hit the ground running out of the bullpen for the big-league squad. Smith was promoted in early August. The lefty compiled 28 frames of a 1.29 ERA and a 37.3% strikeout rate as a multi-inning reliever.
Venable told reporters (including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com) that the plan was to lean on Smith for three or four innings against the Guardians. His pitch count and shaky command in the third inning nixed those intentions, but it’s a vote of confidence for the rookie that the leash was going to be that long. Smith’s 51 pitches on Saturday were his most as a big leaguer. He’s maxed out at three innings with the White Sox.
Smith’s control is the area that will need to improve if he’s going to emerge as a reliable starter. He had a 15.9% walk rate in 58 1/3 innings at Triple-A. It was 14.5% across 18 games in the majors. Smith’s 62.5% strike rate with the White Sox is below-average, but not by much. It’s certainly not an untenable number. Smith generated swings and misses at an elite 14.5% clip, so the stuff is there. He just needs to cut down on the free passes.
If the White Sox are going to make a deep run, they’ll have to lean heavily on Taylor and Smith. Both young pitchers are making a strong case for expanded roles in 2027.
Photos courtesy of Ken Blaze and Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
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