The White Sox are headed back to October, and one of the late-season arms who helped push them there might have earned himself a look in the postseason rotation.
David Sandlin has been one of the more interesting pieces in Chicago’s stretch run, and his latest outing may have been his strongest yet in a White Sox uniform. Whether he gets the ball to start will depend in part on the final standings and whether the club can avoid the Wild Card round, but he’s at least made the conversation a real one.
Sandlin has already been something of a good-luck charm for Chicago. His wins have come in 22-1, 15-2, and 9-1 blowouts, and the White Sox are 3-5 in his starts overall. Even so, the offense has backed him hard, with Chicago outscoring opponents 68-44 when he’s on the mound.
The surface numbers don’t jump off the page. Sandlin’s 5.58 ERA looks rough at first glance.
But the rest of the profile tells a more encouraging story: 40 strikeouts against 13 walks in 40.1 innings, a 24.0 percent strikeout rate, a 4.41 FIP, a .307 xwOBA, and a 317 wOBA. In other words, his results have lagged behind what the underlying metrics suggest.
What makes him intriguing is the combination of velocity, control, and a deep enough mix to keep hitters from getting comfortable too quickly. He can be home run-prone, but the White Sox believe the broader arsenal gives him a shot to turn in the kind of quality start a playoff team can use.
For a club that shocked baseball with an unexpected postseason run, Sandlin represents one more interesting wrinkle. The likeliest path still points to a four-man rotation of Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Alex Kay, and Erick Fedde. But even if Sandlin doesn’t crack the starting group, he could still factor in as a long-relief option.
At 25, he fits the profile of a pitcher still finding his footing, and one who could matter to Chicago beyond this October.
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