Davis Martin’s return has given the White Sox something they badly needed: a starter they can look at and believe in again.
That wasn’t exactly the case a few weeks ago. Martin’s August was a mess, the kind of stretch that can bury a pitcher’s standing fast.
He was hit for nine runs in five innings against the Red Sox on August 4th, then lasted just one inning on August 9th before a rain delay led to both starters being replaced when the game resumed, though he still gave up two runs in that frame. His final outing before the injury break was even stranger: on August 13th, he was ejected in the third inning after he knocked a batter’s helmet off.
Martin’s rough patch was not limited to that month, either. He posted a 6.00 ERA in July and a 5.68 ERA in June, per Baseball Savant.
Before that, his ERA had been under 3.00 every month. By the time he landed on the injured list, it was fair to wonder whether the White Sox could trust him in a postseason series.
Now the picture looks different. Since coming back on September 2nd, Martin has turned in three straight successful outings.
He has gone at least five innings in each one, allowed no more than one earned run in any of them, and walked no more than two batters in any of them. His ERA in September sits at 1.13.
His most recent outing came on September 15th against the Cleveland Guardians, when he worked 5.1 innings and allowed one earned run on four hits and a walk, with a solo home run mixed in. It wasn’t a dazzling performance, and it wasn’t Martin at his sharpest. But it was steady, and for the White Sox, steady is a major step forward.
There are still a few reasons to keep the brakes on. Martin pitched behind an opener on the 15th, with Chris Murphy handling the first part of the game, and he still hasn’t finished six innings since returning. But his first two September starts were proper starts, and he handled them well enough to make the opener usage look more like caution than necessity.
That matters because Martin’s season has been a roller coaster. He was not supposed to become the White Sox’s ace this year, but after Shane Smith was demoted and Jonathan Cannon and Garrett Crochet were no longer in the picture, Martin ended up in that role anyway.
He had opened the season strong, running a 1.41 ERA in April and a 2.05 ERA in May, with WHIPs of 1.03 and 0.88 in those months. The expected numbers suggested some of that success might not hold, but the early results still put him in a key spot on the staff.
Then June and July dragged him down, and August nearly buried him. The injury break arrived after that, and it may have helped reset everything. Since his return, Martin has looked much more like the pitcher the White Sox thought they had earlier in the year.
There’s no certainty yet, and there may not be many chances left for him to prove it. The season is winding down, the White Sox are still in a tight AL Central race, and Martin may not get many more turns. But if he keeps giving them five or six solid innings, he can do two things at once: help stabilize their rotation now and make a strong case for a spot next year.
In Other News...
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White Sox Affiliate Offers Late Reminder The System Still Has Life
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For a system that has spent plenty of time under a microscope, nights like this matter because they show more than one prospect or one arm can carry a club. Pierce George picked up his first Triple-A win, a small milestone that fits into a larger picture of a farm team trying to stack competitive performances. The series still has another layer to it, but Charlotte at least gave the White Sox a reminder that some of the group beneath the majors is still pushing in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Just Sent A Clear Message About Murakamis Future
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Murakami is already under contract through 2027 after signing a two-year deal before the season, which gives both sides some breathing room. For now, Chicago appears content to let the bat settle first and revisit the bigger-picture contract discussion later, a clear sign that the front office likes the fit but is willing to wait for better performance before making a long-term commitment. [Read more 🡒]